


Gravity

by Humble_wats



Category: Juliantina - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:53:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 127,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23024320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humble_wats/pseuds/Humble_wats
Summary: Juliana is employed as a driver for the Carvajal family. Valentina is the youngest Carvajal family member. Their lives become intertwined more than they expected.
Relationships: Valentina Carvajal/Juliana Valdés
Comments: 457
Kudos: 1762





	1. Uber

It had been a turbulent two years for Juliana, but that wasn’t a foreign concept her. Her whole life had been full of upheaval, uncertainty and lies, but she finally felt like her life had hit a plateau. Normal people living normal lives would often consider this a setback; experiencing a certain monotony in their day-to-day can be a sort of life crisis for some. But for Juliana, it was a welcome relief. For once in her young life, she had hit her stride. Granted, she was working hard, busting her gut in two jobs to help her mother, Lupe, out with the bills. But the work was easy and it kept her busy, leaving her with little time to wonder about what else she should be doing with her life. 

Routine and stability had never been something Juliana had growing up. She was sixteen when she discovered her father was not actually a truck driver. His long absences and need for extended rest on his return were not due to the nature of his work. Juliana found out late one night, when she was asleep on the pull out couch that doubled as her bed. She’d had a big day at school where she won an art contest. She raced home with her painting and gift certificate she’d won to proudly show her parents, only to find the trailer empty. A note had been left on the kitchen counter of their tiny home in Lupe’s distinct handwriting. She had been called into work early and wouldn’t be home for dinner. Chino was supposed to be home two days ago but he was yet to show up. Juliana spent the afternoon and evening catching up on her homework, cooked herself a small meal and took herself off to bed, leaving a bedside lamp on in the only bedroom of the small trailer in anticipation of her mothers arrival. 

Juliana was woken by a commotion outside of her window, accompanied by gruff voices and the scattering of gravel. She was disoriented at first, but it was obvious Chino’s voice was among them. To her constant disappointment, her father hadn’t really been present throughout her life. Even when he was around, he often ignored her, pretended she didn’t exist. Every now and then, after a night of heavy drinking, Juliana would wake up to Chino sitting on her bed, watching her through piercing blue eyes. When she would ask the man what he was doing, he would mumble something about Juliana looking nothing like him, and that she couldn’t possibly be his. She tried not to show him how much it hurt her, but sometimes it was hard to hide the hurt she felt when he dismissed her as nothing significant, as just something else to deal with, a burden.  
She’d overheard plenty of her parents arguments over the years. It was impossible to avoid listening to them in the tiny space they shared. The flimsy bedroom door did very little to keep noise in or out. When they would argue about Lupe’s fidelity, or Juliana’s paternity, she would reach for her well-loved music device and earphones and do her best to shut out the screaming, squeezing her eyes tightly shut to hold in the tears. 

Hearing Chino’s voice along with others outside the trailer surprised her. He never brought anyone back to the trailer. Juliana considered rolling over and pretending she hadn’t heard anything, but the tone of voices intrigued her. After some time had passed, curiosity got the better of her. Juliana stood and walked to the door, pushing it open. Three men stood surrounding Chino who was on his knees in the dirt. All four men looked up at her when the door swung back and hit the metal cladding on the outside of the trailer. 

“Juliana. Go back inside.” Chino’s voice was rough and choked. She noticed immediately the blood on his face and the swollen eye. 

“What’s going on?” Juliana asked timidly, her brain still processing the scene in front of her. 

“Chino. What have we here? Have you been holding out on us?” One of the men leered. He stepped one foot closer to her, his smile sending a shiver down her spine. 

“Leave her. She has nothing to do with this.” Chino spoke through gritted teeth. 

“Why didn’t you tell us you were keeping some young pussy around?” Another man sniggered, his hand resting on his crutch as he spoke. 

“She’s my daughter. She’s going inside now. Forget her.” He spat.

The nonchalant admission that Juliana was Chino’s daughter, that he had claimed her, made her breath catch in her throat. He had never said those words out loud before and it caught her off guard. She stood, staring stupidly at the group of men in front of her, even when her instincts were screaming at her to shut and lock the door. 

One of the men approached her and grabbed her harshly by the hair at the base of her neck and dragged her down off the step she had been standing on. She yelped at the contact, her arms flying around to the mans grip in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain. 

“Leave her.” Chino’s voice was deep and threatening. 

The man holding her laughed. His breath smelt of alcohol and cigarettes. “I think I might have some fun with her first, Chino. Unless you’ve changed your mind?” 

Silence settled over them. Chino hung his head and Juliana realized his hands had been bound. She felt a tongue run from her chin to her ear lobe, and she did her best to stifle a horrifying scream at the sensation. She closed her eyes and leaned as far away from the man as possible, a growl resonating in her throat. It dawned on her what was about to happen, and her whole body stiffened, the pain at her neck now forgotten as her brain thought of a million ways that she could possibly escape this scenario. 

“Mmmm, she tastes delicious.” The man chuckled and pushed her towards the trailer. 

“No.” Juliana cried. “No, no no.” She tried to dig her bare heels into the rough gravel as the man continued to force her towards the door, ignoring her pleas to stop. 

Without warning, the pressure on her neck was released and the man who was holding her screamed in pain. The sound of a metal pole hitting the ground was heard before she was wrapped up in a warm embrace. She noticed quickly that Lupe was holding her into her chest, the familiar scent of her mother washing over her. She didn’t register the words exchanged between her mother and the men.

“STOP.” Chino demanded, his voice cutting through the thick night air. 

Everyone froze and turned, all eyes on him. 

“What the fuck, Chino? Your bitch here just…”

“I’ll do it, okay?” Chino interrupted. “I’ll fucking do it. Just leave us alone.”

The three strange men exchanged glances and an evil chuckle resounded around the group. 

“Fine. But we know where you live, and who you live with, if everything goes south. Just remember that. The package must be delivered to Alacran in four days.” The man grunted as he got up from his position on the ground, still clutching at his knee. 

The three men scrambled into a nearby car and sped off, leaving a plume of dust in their wake. 

“Get inside.” Lupe pushed at Juliana, forcing her towards the trailer. 

Juliana grit her teeth and stood her ground. “No. I’m not going until someone tells me what’s going on.”

“Juliana. Go. Now.” Her mother stared at her with a wild look in her eye, pointing behind her to the door. 

“Tell me what’s happening.” She replied, her own anger swelling in her stomach, her fists clenched by her sides. She looked past her mother towards her father. “Chino. Who were those men?”

“God damn it, Juliana.” He shouted, stumbling onto his feet, his hands still bound in front of him. “Stay out of it.” He stormed past them both and up into the trailer. Juliana turned and followed him, her mother hot on her heels. 

“What’s the package you are picking up?” She asked, adrenaline still flowing in her veins. 

“I said stay out of it. It’s none of your business.” 

Juliana narrowed her eyes at him, regarding the disheveled man in front of her, searching the kitchen for something. She thought about the late nights, the long days away, the wads of cash, the cuts and scratches he would come home with. She had always been an intuitive person, so she connected the dots quickly enough. 

“You’re a drug dealer, aren’t you?”

Chino ignored her and continued pulling items out of the kitchen cabinets. She could feel her mother standing behind her but didn’t care to look. 

“Aren’t you?” She repeated a little more harshly, louder. 

Chino stopped as he pulled a pair of scissors out of a draw. “Yes. Alright? Yes, I’m a drug dealer.” He growled, frustrated. 

“Chino.” Lupe whined, warning him not to continue.

“And a hitman. I kill people for a living as well. Are you happy now?” Saliva flew out of his mouth as he continued to shout at her. He thrust the scissors at Lupita and she took them from him with shaking hands, cutting him free. As soon as his hands were out of the bounds, he stormed off into the small bedroom and slammed the folding door shut behind him. 

Juliana’s life became even more strained after finding out her fathers true profession. Chino became less and less present, as Juliana became more and more resentful. When he was home, they would argue. Juliana would beg for him to leave, for them all to leave, to start again somewhere new. Chino’s behaviors turned more violent as his job became more demanding, of which Juliana would sometimes see the full brunt. It wasn’t unusual for her to attend school with bruises on her arms, hand marks on her wrists or the occasional dark spot on her face. 

Two weeks after her high school graduation, Lupe came home in a rush. She stormed into the trailer, her hair messy and her waitressing uniform unkempt. She grabbed Juliana by the shoulders and spoke quickly. 

“Pack a bag. We have to go.”

Lupe disappeared into her own room and Juliana could hear her rummaging around. 

“What am I packing?” 

“Pack as if we aren’t coming back.”

Juliana had never seen her mother like this before, an urgency in her movements and a tremble in her voice. Without arguing, Juliana turned and picked up her backpack, filling it with her personal belongings, before throwing her clothes and few pairs of shoes in a small duffle bag. Within minutes, Lupe stood before her in jeans and a shirt, holding her own bags stuffed full of belongings. She looked Juliana up and down before turning to the door. 

“Let’s go.”

It wasn’t until they were on the highway, heading towards the Mexican border, that Juliana found the courage to speak. 

“Where are we going?”

Lupe glanced towards her, her eyes wide. “Mexico City.”

Juliana chewed at the skin around her thumb as she watched her mothers hands tremble on the steering wheel. 

“What happened? Where’s Chino?”

Lupe ran a hand through her hair before resting her elbow on the window ledge, her head resting on her hand. “Chino’s colleagues turned up at work, threatening us. Apparently Chino owes them money but he’s disappeared.”

“We’re leaving him behind?”

Juliana could see Lupe’s jaw clench with the question. When she spoke, her voice was wrecked. “You know what will happen if we stay there, Juli. You know what those men are like. We had to leave.”

Juliana reached across, her hand massaging her mothers shoulder in a soothing motion. She watched the tension around her mothers eyes ease slightly. 

“It’s okay, ma.” She said thickly. “We’ll always stick together.”

Two years after they arrived in Mexico City with nothing but a bag full of clothes each, they were settled in a small apartment and were both working steady jobs. After living in turmoil and distress for the first 18 years of her life, Juliana found solitude in her new life with her mother. She had her own room, her own space, something she craved all throughout her adolescence. Now that she was 20, she found herself happily working two jobs, enjoying her hobbies and living a relatively stress-free life. 

Juliana took off her apron, folded it and placed it in her bag. She kissed her mother on the cheek and waved Perlita goodbye as she exited the café. She generally started work at 11am, getting through the lunch rush and helping set up for dinner before leaving to start her second job as an Uber driver for the evening. She saved up as much as she could in her first year of work, feeling a sense of accomplishment when she bought her first car. It was nothing flash, but it was well looked after, clean and tidy. Six months later, she started her first shift as an Uber driver. 

Juliana enjoyed driving around the city at night. Surprisingly, it gave her a sense of peace. It provided a way for her to detach from exasperating situations, or the intensity of her life. If she’d had a rough day at work at the cafe, or she felt particularly anxious about her future, driving strangers around the large city gave her a space to relax, to remove herself and find some calm. It was the perfect way for her to become familiar with the city, but the thing Juliana liked the most were the people from all walks of life that passed through her little car. 

Juliana was four hours into her evening shift when her phone beeped to alert her to an incoming trip. She couldn’t help the smirk that crossed her features when she saw Camilo’s name pop up on her screen. She accepted the ride and turned right at the next intersection, heading towards the familiar pin on the screen. 

She pulled up to restaurant and the greying gentlemen she had slowly become acquainted with over the past year smiled at her as he stooped and fell into the passenger seat. 

“Juliana! This is a surprise. I was not expecting you but I’m glad you’re here.” His speech was slower than normal, his eyes were red and his skin blotchy. It was clear he had a few drinks with his dinner. 

“Just good timing I guess, Camilo. How was your evening?” She asked as she watched the man fumble with his seat belt. She eventually reached over and helped him click the strap into the buckle. 

“Very nice, thank you.” He responded as Juliana began their trip back to Camilo’s apartment building. “What have you been up to?”

The traffic at this time of night wasn’t too hectic and they were able to make their way through the streets without fuss. Juliana competently maneuvered the car towards their final destination. She was glad to have picked up Camilo. She had driven him fairly regularly to many different places around the city since she began working as an Uber driver. He was kind and talkative, and they had become familiar over time, sharing little stories about themselves. Juliana was always happy when she saw Camilo requesting a ride, her evening always made a little more exciting when Camilo told her his awful jokes and took a genuine interest in Juliana’s evening.

“Just the usual. Working at the café and doing the Uber thing. Not much changes for me. What about yourself?”

“Well, I actually thought of you the other day.” Juliana took a quick glance at Camilo with a questioning look. “Let me explain. A good friend of mine mentioned that he was looking for a new driver, and I thought of you.”

Juliana slowed to a stop at a red traffic light and turned to look at Camilo, her hands still on the steering wheel. 

“Right. And why would you think of me?” 

“Juliana, I’m trying to help, I promise. You are a great driver and I’m positive he would pay you more than what you are earning in your two jobs now.”

“What makes you think I’m unhappy with what I’m doing now?” 

Camilo chuckled and rested his head back on the headrest before turning to look at Juliana again. She turned back to the road and continued on their journey. 

“I never said you were unhappy. But you’re young and you shouldn’t have to work two jobs. Surely you want to do something more with your life?”

Juliana rolled her eyes as silence filled up the space between them. Juliana could feel his friendly gaze watching her. After a few moments, Juliana conceded and nodded her head. 

“Fine, you’re right. I like fashion. I’d like to do something in that area, design clothes or something.” She said with a faint smile on her lips, imagining her life traveling the globe, re imagining styles and trends. 

“That sounds great. And maybe a stepping-stone to that ultimate goal of yours could be this job. He will pay you generously so you can save more to follow your dreams. And you won’t have to work two different jobs. It’s a no-brainer, really.” 

Juliana turned into Camilo’s street and pulled up carefully to his apartment building. 

“Why do you care about what I do, Camilo? We hardly know each other.” She turned to him as she spoke.

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I think you’re a nice kid who deserves another opportunity. If you were my daughter, I’d want more for you than working two jobs just to get by. If I can help make your life easier, it’d make me happy. What do you say?”

Juliana puffed out her cheeks as she regarded the man in front of her. He unclicked his seatbelt and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket before watching her expectantly. 

“No pressure, though.” He added. “I just thought of you, that’s all.”

Juliana clicked her teeth together before responding. “I appreciate it, Camilo. How would I go about speaking to your friend?”

A grin spread across Camilo’s face as he handed her his phone. “Type in your number and I’ll let you know when you can meet him. How does that sound?” 

Juliana nodded and took Camilo’s phone, quickly pressing in her phone number, before handing back his device. 

“I’ll let you know. Thanks for the ride, Juliana!” He said as he stumbled out of the car, slamming the door shut and mouthing “sorry” as glanced at her through the window before disappearing into the apartment building.


	2. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliana's first day of work.

As Juliana approached the gates, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open subconsciously. Camilo had called her with exciting news; his friend was willing to meet with her to discuss the possibility of her working for him as his new driver. After agreeing to the meeting, Camilo sent her a text with the address of where she needed to meet his friend, Leon Carvajal. His name had seemed familiar at the time, but she hadn’t thought too much of it. Now it seems she should have done her research on who this man actually was, or asked Camilo more questions. 

She pulled up to the wrought iron gates as a man with dark hair appeared from a door in the wall to the left of the gate. She wound her window down warily as he approached her car. 

“Juliana Valdez?” 

“That’s right.”

“Please, just park over there.” He pointed to a space behind her. “And then you can follow me. Leon is just walking the dog, it’s his only time to meet with you, so you will join him.”

Juliana looked down at her converse sneakers and thanked her previous self for the footwear choice. She didn’t have many options as it was, but she was glad she didn’t stick to the worn out black work shoes she wear at the café. She nodded her head at the man and reversed her car, parking it where he indicated. She locked the car behind her and followed the man through the door, straightening out her carefully chosen button up shirt as she walked. 

As soon as she stepped through the door in the wall, the same dumbfounded look from earlier passed across her face. The sprawling grounds were gorgeous, with perfect green lawn, manicured rose bushes and shrubbery framing the buildings with the occasional sculpture or ornament appearing among the flowers. As Juliana followed the man up a stone path, she observed a large pool house, a separate outdoor area with an in-built lounge surrounded by hammocks hanging from the beams, as well as the imposing main house in the distance. She was struck by how quiet it was, the birds singing their morning song and the faint trickle of water off a nearby fountain the only sounds behind these walls. It was almost as if she had stepped into another world. 

The tranquil quiet of the garden was gradually disturbed as the unmistakable sound of a dog running interrupted the peace. Juliana looked to her right and spotted a large dog clumsily running towards her. She felt the smile split her face as the goofy looking animal continued bounding straight at her. Juliana had always loved animals, but dogs held a particularly soft spot in her heart. She heard the man say something to her as the dog approached, but she didn’t hear him. Soon enough, she was almost knocked over by the dark brown dog, but she didn’t mind. She patted the dogs soft coat and laughed as the dog licked her arms and wagged its tail energetically. The dog quickly fell in a heap, rolling onto it’s back and showing Juliana it’s belly. She cooed at the dog, and bent over to rub its belly, laughing at its tongue dangling out of its mouth. 

“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

Juliana looked up to find the man she was walking with looking down on her, beside another man with his hands on his knee’s, obviously trying to catch his breath. 

She gave the dog one more pat before standing up. “It’s not a problem. I’m fine.”

The dark haired man nodded at the other and walked off, back in the direction they had come. Juliana watched him walk away and was about follow him before she remembered the man she was supposed to meet would be walking his dog. She put two and two together, quickly realizing the man bent over in front of her was Leon Carvajal. 

She stood awkwardly as the man tried to catch his breath. She felt the dog brush against her, its nose nuzzling into her hand. She took a moment to pat the dog again before the man stood up properly and spoke. 

“Juliana, my name is Leon. It’s lovely to meet you.” Juliana took his extended hand and shook it, noting the warmth and strength in his hold. 

“It’s nice to meet you. And I thank you for taking the time to speak with me, sir.” 

The man had grey hair and a few wrinkles around his eyes, which crinkled when he smiled. His teeth were white and straight, and his eyes were a sparkling blue. His whole attitude was friendly and Juliana was immediately comfortable in his presence. 

“I’m sorry about Max. He will attempt to knock over anyone who he thinks will pay him some attention.” He said, pointing to the dog whose tongue was flapping about as he panted. 

“I love dogs, so it’s really not a problem. He is very cute.” She said jovially as she rubbed behind his ears. 

Juliana looked up to see Leon smiling at her still, and she couldn’t help but smile back. 

“I don’t have much time, so let’s get straight to business. Shall we?” He held his arm out to indicate for Juliana to walk beside him. She nodded her head and followed his lead, walking at a reasonable pace through the gardens, making their way around the house. It seemed the grounds continued on for miles. 

“You have come very strongly recommended by Camilo.” 

“I’m just his Uber driver every now and then.” Juliana shrugged, a little self-conscious. 

“Well, Camilo is a very good friend of mine and I believe him when he says you are an excellent driver.” Leon threw a ball for Max who bounded off into the distance, tumbling over in an attempt to catch the ball. “I’m in need of a new driver for the family. If you were interested, the job would require you to drive myself and any other family member to any destination we ask of you. The shifts will be long, but I will make it worth your while. Obviously you would drive one of our vehicles, you won’t have to provide your own.”

Juliana nodded along as he spoke, taking in all the information he had to offer. “How many family members are there, sir?”

Leon looked at her with raised eyebrows, a look of disbelief on his face, before answering. “You will be looking after myself, my wife Lucia, and my children Eva, Guille and Valentina. Eva doesn’t live here but she still likes to make use of the service, so you will most likely meet her at some point.”

“That sounds fine to me, sir.”

“I’ve already had your driving record checked and it’s clean. I know you are young but if Camilo trusts you, so do I.” Leon directed them around the back of the house while Max stopped to relieve himself on every couple of tree’s that were planted there. “Do you have any questions?”

“No, sir. I don’t think so.” Juliana was still processing that this man had somehow checked her driving record. She was still kicking herself for not doing her research before showing up here. 

“Well, if you’re happy with everything, I’d need you to start on Monday. I will get Javier to provide you with some cash to get yourself a suit – it is a requirement of all our workers to be dressed appropriately. Javier will also provide you with all other information you will need and he will collect your own details for payments. How does that sound?” His voice was calm and his manner direct, but Juliana appreciated this approach. 

“That sounds fine, sir. Thank you for this opportunity.” Leon stopped outside of the pool yard and held out his hand to Juliana. She took it as the man flashed her a genuine smile. 

“I look forward to working with you then, Juliana.” He said as they shook hands. 

“You too, sir. Thank you.”

“If you make your way back to the gate, Javier will go through everything you need to know. I’ll see you on Monday.” Leon smiled and bent his head slightly before turning and walking towards the pool house. 

Juliana took in a deep breath and turned, walking off towards the gate in search of Javier. 

After an hour with Javier, she had enough cash in her pocket to purchase the best suit money could buy, new shoes and whatever else she could possibly need to start this job. But she also left with her head swimming with new information and the utter disbelief at the sum of money she was going to be paid just to drive some rich people around Mexico City. She couldn’t believe her luck. As she got in the car, she flicked a quick text off to Camilo to thank him for recommending her, and that she starts on Monday. As she drove home to tell her mother, she had a fleeting thought that maybe her run of bad luck was coming to an end. Maybe the stars were finally aligning for her. Maybe the future didn’t have to be so bleak after all. 

****

Juliana adjusted her brand new suit jacket, courtesy of Leon Carvajal, as she knocked on the same wooden door in the wall on Monday morning. Her shifts would regularly start at midday, working twelve hours, clocking off at midnight. Considering it was her first day, she arrived an hour early, greeted by a smiling Javier at 11am. 

“Juliana, hi! It’s great to see you here so early. We have to run through a few security details and get you familiar with the grounds and cars before you start. Follow me, please.” His brown eyes shined as he spoke, ushering her through the door and into a small office she hadn’t noticed the previous week. 

They spent the next hour organizing a security pass for Juliana, a quick tour of the grounds and an overview of the fleet of vehicles in the Carvajal’s enormous garage. Most cars were large, black SUV’s, but as Javier handed her the keys and Juliana sat in the drivers seat ready to begin her first shift, she was overcome with how crazy this whole situation was. A giddy laugh escaped her lips. She ran her hands over the plush leather steering wheel and pressed the array of dials on the dash. She had never driven anything as fancy and expensive as this car, and she couldn’t believe she was about to be paid an exorbitant amount of money to drive people around in what she considered a luxurious ride. 

Juliana started the car and drove it carefully down the stone driveway and parked it in the allocated space out the front of the house. She glanced towards the steps leading to the large front door and hopped out of the car, waiting for further instructions. Javier advised her that all Carvajal family members now had her phone number, and she was to have her phone on her at all times in case they required a lift. 

She stood in the bright midday sun, thankful it was a cool day and that she had remembered her sunglasses. She took a moment to brush her fingers across the smooth rose petals that had bloomed on a nearby rose bush. The beautiful white flower had an aromatic smell and Juliana couldn’t help but bend down and smile at the perfect shape of the blossom. She tried to commit it to memory so she may draw it later on. 

Juliana’s head snapped up as she heard a small cough from behind her. Standing on the top step looking down at her was possibly one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her long chestnut hair flowed down over her chest as the blonde tips swayed in the slight breeze. She was dressed simply in a white shirt tucked into blue jeans, a patterned cardigan hanging lazily over her shoulders. But it was her blue eyes that struck Juliana first, the clear turquoise color freezing her in place. 

The girl smiled at her as she stepped down the steps and walked towards her. Juliana stood straighter as the girl approached, clearing her throat to speak. 

“Good morning, miss. I’m Juliana, the new driver.” She held her hand out for the girl to take. She was trying to be courteous, but she was afraid the smile that spread across her lips was a little friendlier than she anticipated, unable to stop herself. 

The girl’s white teeth appeared from between her full lips, her smile reflected back to her. 

“It’s really nice to meet you, Juliana. I’m Valentina.”

Juliana had spent the weekend doing what she should have done prior to her meeting with Leon Carvajal – researching her new employer. The girl standing before her, grasping her hand warmly, was Valentina Carvajal, the youngest sibling of the Carvajal media empire, and Leon’s not-so-secret favorite child. She had been dubbed as the “Carvajal Princess” by the media and general public, and by the way she was standing in front of Juliana today, she could finally understand what all the fuss was about. The way she held herself, her kind smile and deep blue eyes, emanated nothing but authenticity and cheerfulness. It was something to behold, and Juliana felt herself momentarily blindsided by her instant curiosity towards the girl. 

“That’s a beautiful name.” She replied confidently, taking her hand back and glancing towards the car parked close by. “Do you need a lift somewhere?”

“Yes. I have class, so I need a lift to the University, please.” 

Juliana nodded and walked quickly to the car, opening the door for the other girl. Valentina offered her a lopsided grin before climbing into the car. Juliana’s heart involuntarily increased its beating at the sight. She closed the door when she could see Valentina was fully inside the vehicle, before pulling herself up and into the SUV, starting it and departing through the Carvajal gates smoothly. 

She had a fair idea of where to go, but she hooked up her phone to the magnetic phone holder and plugged in the address on Google Maps to be sure. She got comfortable in the seat as she grew used to guiding the large vehicle through the busy Mexico City traffic. She was doing her best to focus on the road, but the girl in the back seat turned out to be quite distracting. She heard a soft humming resonating from where Valentina was sitting and she chewed the inside of her cheek as she tried to keep her eyes on the road. She finally paid attention to the music playing lowly through the car speakers, and her ears pricked to listen to the girl singling along softly. She took a chance and looked up into the rear view mirror to find Valentina already looking at her, her eyes shifting away when they made eye contact, as if she didn’t want to be caught looking. Juliana smirked at the girls reaction and diverted her attention back to the traffic. Every now and then, she would look up to check on her passenger, but her eyes were now glued to the phone in her lap, her brow furrowed. Juliana briefly wondered what could be causing those beautiful features to look so conflicted. She wanted to ask, to make conversation, but she knew it wasn’t her place. She was employed to drive, not to interact with her passengers.

As they got closer to their destination, Valentina finally spoke. 

“Where are you from, Juliana?”

Juliana cleared her throat before she replied. She wasn’t sure why, but she was nervous to speak to the beautiful girl sitting behind her. She did her best to not let it show, ensuring she remained professional at all times. “I live in Mexico City now, but I grew up north of the border.”

Juliana watched as Valentina nodded her head, watching the traffic pass by out the window. “And what brought you to Mexico City?”

The car pulled over out the front of the University grounds. Juliana put the car into park and looked at Valentina through the mirror. “The chance for a new beginning.” 

Valentina’s eyebrows lifted slightly as she took in this response. She smiled weakly at Juliana and grasped the door handle. “I hope that works out for you. It was nice to meet you.” She said with sincerity as she slid out, quickly melting into the stream of young students heading towards the architecturally designed buildings.

As Valentina disappeared, Juliana let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding onto. Valentina was mysterious. She had all the money in the world, a huge Instagram following, a family, a tertiary education, but from the brief interaction Juliana just had with her, she got the impression there was more to her than meets the eye. There was something about the difference in the look in her eye from their first meeting at the Carvajal mansion, to when she exited the vehicle at the University. 

Juliana didn’t want to dwell too much on how much she wanted to get to know the girl, to break down her walls and find out what makes her tick. She was in complete understanding about who she was, an employee who had no right to involve herself in the girls dramas. But as she sat outside of the University, she couldn’t help but think about the blue-eyed girl. 

She drummed her fingertips on the smooth leather of the steering wheel. She was snapped out of her internal thoughts about the youngest Carvajal by a text from Leon himself. She started the car again and eased her way back out into the traffic and towards the Carvajal Group offices. 

Leon’s smile was wide as he climbed into the back of the vehicle, his briefcase trailing behind him.

“Juliana! How is your first day going?” 

“Great, thank you, sir.”

As Juliana drove Leon to his business meeting, they chatted happily. Juliana was surprised at how easily conversation flowed between them. They briefly discussed their friendships with Camilo, moving onto common interests such as art and books. 

“My youngest likes to read, too. She recommends me books all the time. I don’t think she’s steered me wrong yet.” Leon chuckled as he flipped through a folder in his lap. 

“I met Miss Valentina earlier, sir.” 

Juliana watched his blue eyes flash at her mention of his daughter, a close-lipped smile crossing his lips. “And what did you think, Juliana?” 

“She’s beautiful, sir.”

Leon nodded, his smile slowly fading. “She reminds me so much of her mother.” He breathed. “Unfortunately I don’t spend as much time with my children as I’d like.”

Juliana sat in silence as Leon pondered his own words, a wistful look on his face. As Juliana pulled the car over outside of the address he had given her, Leon seemed to snap out of his reverie. He quickly packed away his papers into the briefcase he brought with him and thanked Juliana before disappearing into another building. 

Juliana spent the rest of the day driving Leon to two more business meetings before driving him home at 9pm. She stood outside of the large garage with her phone in her hands, wondering if Valentina would text her before she clocked off. 

Sure enough, at 11:32pm, her phone beeped.

 **Valentina:** _“Hi, sorry for texting so late. I’m at The Flamingo. Can you please come and get me and a few others and drive us home?”_

_“On my way.”_

By the time she got to the club, it was already past midnight. She parked across the road and got out, sending Valentina another text to alert her that she was out the front. She stood and waited at the entrance to the club, the faint beat of the bass resonating through walls, her phone lighting up as she checked it every 30 seconds for a response. She shifted on her feet and glanced at the bouncer every now and then, wondering if she should go inside and find her. Six minutes later, Valentina stumbled out onto the street, held up by a man and trailed by two other women who giggled and hung off one another. The thumping from the music dulled again as the door closed behind them, and Juliana stepped towards the group. 

“Miss, are you okay?” 

She was genuinely concerned about the girl hanging off the mans shoulder. It was only a Monday night, she was in the same clothes that Juliana had dropped her to University in earlier that day, and she looked like she’d had a big night. Her eyes were half closed and she struggled to keep her head up. 

“Miss?” Juliana asked again, as she grasped her shoulder in an attempt to get a response from the girl. 

“Who are you?” The man looked down at her with contempt, his eyes narrowed and dark. If first impressions told Juliana anything, it was that this man was bad news. 

“Juliana?” She heard Valentina slur. Her eyes shifted from the man back to Valentina, her blue eyes open and watching her. “You came?” 

“Of course. You text me and I come.”

“Baby, who is this?” The man asked, pulling Valentina away, Juliana’s hand slipping off her shoulder. 

“She’s the new driver, Lucho. Relax.” She drawled, her eyes never leaving Juliana. Juliana was struck with the difference in her expression. Her blue eyes were cloudy and dull, a vast comparison to the clear depths she had admired when they first met. Juliana blinked as she took in the lost look in the girls eyes. 

Lucho. So this was Valentina’s boyfriend. It was not much to go off, but Juliana already wondered what Valentina saw in this person. 

“Great. You can look after her then.” He said as he gruffly pushed Valentina towards Juliana. Due to Valentina’s clearly intoxicated state, she stumbled on her feet, falling into Juliana who was quick to react. Her arms reached around the girl and held her before she dropped onto the concrete sidewalk. 

“Jesus.” Juliana mumbled under her breath as she held Valentina up and steadied her into a more comfortable upright position. When she looked up, she watched the man saunter over to the two other girls, his arms reaching around them and as they walked towards the car. 

“Sorry. I’m such an idiot.” She heard Valentina utter.

“Don’t apologize, it isn’t a problem. Let’s get you home.” She held Valentina close as she walked them both towards the car. The woman was lean and warm, and Juliana could smell the alcohol on her breath. She reached the other side of the car and approached the passenger side door. As she was passing the open back door, Lucho called out from the backseat. 

“Put her in here.”

Juliana clenched her teeth as she noticed Lucho and one of the girls were already in the backseat, while the other girl was sitting in the front, her phone in her face. She had no choice. She guided Valentina to the back seat and spoke to her calmly, directing her when to duck her head and when to move her legs. When she was settled, Juliana closed the door and got into the drivers side, starting the car and moving off. 

It had been a long day and it was past her clock off time. But the thing that was bothering her was the situation she found Valentina in. She watched as the two girls chattered to one another across the car, while Lucho pressed himself against Valentina. 

“Am I taking you all back to Valentina’s?” 

“No. We need to go to my house. Just turn right at the next set of lights and I’ll tell you where to go from there.” The girl with curly hair sitting next to her responded quickly. She nodded and followed her instructions. 

She stayed quiet, watching Valentina in the rear-view mirror every now and then. She felt uneasy, a surge of protectiveness flowing through her. She wanted to pull over, to kick all three other passengers out onto the road, and take Valentina home. In reality, she knew she couldn’t do that, so she picked at her thumb nail, a nervous habit of hers, and continued on her way. Just as she was nearing the strange girls house, a name alerted her to a concerning conversation. 

“How much money do you think Valentina spent tonight?” The girl with the curly hair sitting next to her asked. 

“I have no idea. Thank God she’s loaded.” The girl in the back seat replied with a giggle.

“Tell me about it. I wouldn’t be able to go out if she wasn’t coming with us.”

“Me either!”

“I swear she does this all the time.” The curly haired girl said with a dramatic eye roll.

“Does what?”

“Gets completely written off. I mean, it’s not a bad thing for us. She never realizes what we spend on her credit card when she’s like this.” 

“Good point. I’m certainly not going to stop her.” The girl behind her said as the curly haired girl nodded in agreement. 

“Let’s try and get her out again this weekend!” 

“Oh, for sure! It’ll save us paying ourselves. Drinks are getting so expensive.”

They both laughed at themselves, clearly pleased with their plan. 

Juliana had to restrain herself from reaching over and slapping the girl next to her. If there was any consolation to Valentina being almost unresponsive in the back seat, it’s that she wouldn’t hear her so-called friends talking about taking advantage of her. Her hands gripped the steering wheel harder and she was relieved to finally pull over and watch the two girls get out without a single thank you. She didn’t even wait to watch the girls make it safely inside. She pulled away again quickly, keeping an eye on Valentina and Lucho in the backseat. 

“Am I taking you home, sir?” 

Lucho spoke without looking in Juliana’s direction. “No. I’ll stay with Vale tonight.” 

Juliana narrowed her eyes at the man in the mirror as she watched him lean over Valentina. His hand crept up her leg and caressed her thigh through her jeans while he kissed her neck. Her cardigan slipped off her shoulders and Lucho pulled it down, untucking her shirt in the process. All the while, Valentina sat half slumped in her seat.

When they got half way home, Juliana couldn’t help herself. 

“Hey, I think you need to take it easy. She looks pretty drunk.” She hoped her tone conveyed how serious she was without crossing any boundaries. 

Lucho moved off Valentina slightly to turn and look at her. 

“You aren’t getting paid to watch, or give advice. Mind your own business.” He scowled before turning back to Valentina. 

This time, as he pressed into her, Valentina’s eyes locked on hers. Juliana regarded her while she shook her head minutely. There was sadness in her expression, her eyebrows scrunching slightly. Juliana looked at her wide-eyed and pleading, wanting to beg the girl to help herself, wanting to reach over and rip the man away. Juliana was struggling to find the fine line between being a professional and leaving the girl to her own life, and pulling the car over and dealing with the situation the only way she knew how. It was her first day, and she didn’t want to step on any toes, or jeopardize the opportunity she was given here. But at the same time, she couldn’t watch as this man, unfortunately the girls’ boyfriend, forced himself on her. There was a vulnerability to this girl that made Juliana’s heart constrict in her chest. They continued their silent conversation for a moment longer before Valentina flexed her jaw and looked away. Juliana took in a deep breath as she re-focused on the road, feeling helpless. 

“Ouch! Lucho, get off me.” 

Finally, Valentina pushed the man off her, albeit weakly, disgust crossing her features. 

“C’mon baby.” He cajoled, moving forwards again.

“No, I’m not in the mood.” She said impatiently, her hands pushing at his shoulders. 

He ignored her this time, his hands slipping under her shirt and reaching up. 

“I think you need to listen to what she’s saying, sir.” Juliana couldn’t help herself. Her voice was strong, leaving no room to misinterpret her meaning. 

Lucho looked towards Juliana and leaned forward, fire in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if he were to speak, but he was stopped. Juliana watched as Valentina’s hands came to rest on his cheeks, turning his head back towards her. 

“Just not here.” She heard Valentina whisper. 

Juliana’s shoulders slumped slightly with the connotation of Valentina’s words. It seemed to placate the man a little as he released a huff and sat back into his own seat. Valentina pulled her own shirt back down and fell forward, her forehead pressing against the window. 

They continued the rest of the trip in silence. It didn’t take much longer to reach the Carvajal residence at that time of night. Juliana guided the SUV up the driveway and to the front door. Lucho got out and marched straight to the front door, leaving Valentina inside the car. Juliana walked quickly to her side of the vehicle, opening the door slowly so the girl wouldn’t fall out. 

“Here, let me help you.” Juliana said as she grasped Valentina’s hand. 

The girl gave her a shy smile and nodded, letting her body lean into Juliana’s for support. As they walked up the steps, Juliana spoke again. 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can take him home if you want.” 

Valentina’s features fell slightly. “Thanks for coming to get us. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

They reached the door and Lucho took Valentina’s hand from her, pulling her inside the house and closing it behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so turns out this 'figure it out as you go thing' is kind of hard. I have the idea but i'm getting a little caught up in the details as I go so... this could be a monster. It's really only just getting started so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ haha!


	3. Loops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls get to know one another a little better.

Juliana’s first week went by quickly, chaperoning the Carvajal family around the city. She adjusted to the long shifts quite easily, encouraged by her bank account already looking healthier. Her first week included meeting each family member individually, quietly making her own judgments as they travelled in the same space. 

Juliana quickly concluded that Leon was kind and gentle, and very hard-working. It wasn’t unusual for Juliana to drop him home long after dinner had been served.   
Lucia was easy-going and cheerful. Her beautiful blonde hair and good looks might lead anyone else to become vain, but Lucia was modest, always greeting Juliana warmly. 

Eva was quick-witted and unforgiving, her attitude dismissive of anything she deemed unworthy of her time. Her many business phone calls were quick and straight to the point, her instructions leaving no room for misinterpretation. Juliana thought she must be one hell of an operator, a fiercely independent woman you wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of.

Guille was quite the opposite. He seemed more reserved, friendlier. He went to the effort of making conversation with Juliana, even if it was only to comment on the weather or the traffic. She suspected his typically quiet nature was due to being the younger sibling of Eva Carvajal. Juliana could imagine he wouldn’t be able to get much of a word in at family dinners. 

Valentina was the one individual Juliana couldn’t quite work out. Juliana was surprised at how completely enrapt she became with the blue-eyed girl. She was beautiful and youthful, unbelievably charismatic and endearing. But the vulnerability behind her eyes was what affected Juliana the most. She was young, only a year older than Juliana. She couldn’t understand what must be happening in this girls life for her shoulders to slump, her eyebrows to crease, to worry her lip so anxiously, to hold herself with such hopelessness. And what intrigued her even more was how different the girl acted when she was on her own, compared to when her friends or Lucho were around. Over her first week, she got to know the girl a little better. 

The day after her night out, Valentina was sheepish. She approached Juliana in the driveway as she had done the previous day, but her eyes struggled to maintain eye contact. Juliana held the door open for her with a smile, but she could sense the tension radiating off her. As Juliana began their journey to the University, she could almost feel Valentina’s eyes burning a hole in her head. She took pity on the girl, breaking the silence. 

“How are you feeling today?”

Valentina let out a huff of air she had clearly been holding on to. “A bit ridiculous, actually. I’m really sorry you had to deal with all that last night.” 

Juliana shook her head. “There’s no need to apologize. You’ll find no judgments from me.” 

Valentina hummed as they continued on in companionable silence for a while, but each time Juliana looked up, Valentina’s eyes shifted away, as if she had been looking at her. 

“What are you studying?” Juliana continued, selfishly wanting to learn more about the girl.

Juliana heard Valentina click her teeth before answering. “Journalism.”

“Do you like it?” 

Juliana watched Valentina rock her head from side to side as she considered the question. “Not really. But it’s what my dad wants me to study, so I can continue on in the family business like my siblings. So I’m resigned to the fact that it’ll be my life. I’ve just accepted it.”

Juliana nodded, turning her head to check for traffic as she took a left hand turn. 

“Well, out of curiosity, if you could study anything else, what would you pick?”

A small smile slowly found it’s way onto Valentina’s lips. “No-one has ever asked me that before.”

Juliana just shrugged her shoulders. “You don’t have to answer, of course, miss.”

“No, that’s not it.” She replied quickly. “It’s just, I haven’t really thought about it before. It was never an option to choose so I didn’t bother thinking about it.” 

The soft music coming from the radio once again filled the car, with Juliana doing her best to focus on driving and not the girl sitting behind her. 

“I think if I had the option, I’d go travelling. I want to see the world, to experience different cultures and places. There’s so much to see out there. Sometimes I just want to get lost in it, go somewhere where no-one else knows me and do whatever I want, whenever I want.” 

Juliana noted the hint of desperateness in Valentina’s voice as she spoke. She twirled the ends of her hair in her fingers, her expression as if she was lost in her own day dream. 

“That sounds nice.” Juliana replied quietly, letting the girl lose herself in her own imagination. 

“Do you live here with your family?” This time, it was Valentina to ask the question.

Juliana pulled to a stop at a red light, turning her head to catch a glimpse of her passenger. “Mmmm.” Juliana responded with a single nod, not wanting to give too much away about her past life. “I moved here two years ago with my mom. We like it here so far. I think we’ll probably stick around.” She pressed the accelerator slowly, moving with the traffic. “You have a big family. That must be nice.” 

Valentina bit at her upper lip as she glanced out the window. “Yeah, I guess so. My mother passed when I was younger, but I love my step-mom. Eva can be a pain in the butt, but I’m close with my brother Guille.” Her index finger came up to her mouth as she absentmindedly traced her lips. “My father isn’t around very much.”

“From what I’ve noticed already, miss, it’s that he loves you very much.” Juliana said as she pulled the vehicle over in front of the gates to the University entrance. 

She looked up and caught Valentina’s bright eyes in the reflection. They took the moment to watch the other, sitting comfortably in the presence of one another. 

“Thanks, Juliana.” Valentina almost whispered as she swung her small backpack onto her shoulder. Juliana quickly clambered out of the vehicle and opened the door for Valentina who offered her a gentle smile before she thanked her again and began making her way down the path towards the gates. Without thinking, Juliana stood glued in place and observed the girl walking away, entranced at how her hair swayed in the sun and her hips swung as she strolled towards her destination. There were people milling about all around her, engaged in their own bubbly conversation about class work and what they did on the weekend, but her eyes were stuck on the blue-eyed girl. She wasn’t quick enough to react to Valentina’s head swivel back in her direction as she walked, offering a quick wave and shy smile before continuing on her way. 

Juliana felt her face burn a little at the motion, a stirring feeling rumbling in her stomach. As Valentina disappeared into the crowd of young students, Juliana realized she hadn’t yet had lunch. She boiled the strange feeling in her belly down to the fact that she was just hungry. No… starving. She scrambled back into the SUV and took off in search of some food before she was called away again. 

Over the next week, they gradually broke the walls down between them. Slowly, it felt as though they were on their way to becoming friends. Driving Valentina to and from University, or anywhere really, was the highlight of Juliana’s day. Juliana figured their closeness in age most likely accounted for the quick development in their relationship. They discussed all kinds of topics, from fashion to politics, literature to films, dreams and desires. They quickly discovered they had numerous things in common, but there were also many differences between them. Their vastly different upbringings were most likely to blame for their differences of opinion, with Juliana quick to judge and Valentina quick to forgive. 

As Valentina became more comfortable with Juliana, the lighter the atmosphere became between them, and the easier their conversation flowed. Juliana was shocked at how much she enjoyed talking to Valentina, at how instantly and meaningful the connection was made between them. At times, it felt like Juliana had known Valentina for a lifetime, as if there was something familiar in their interactions. And she was impressed by the depth of feeling Valentina spoke with, the passion in her voice, the vibrancy in her expressions. She was captivated by the care and compassion she spoke with regarding the most important people in her life, and about the issues that were important to her. Juliana was awestruck to learn that Valentina felt deeply, passionately, enthusiastically. It was a trait Juliana admired profoundly, being quite guarded herself. But she was easily swept up into Valentina’s way of seeing things, and slowly felt her walls come down around her as she got to know the enigmatic girl.

The moment Juliana knew she wanted to be around Valentina as much as possible was the first time she heard Valentina truly laugh. 

Valentina had organized to meet her godmother for lunch, but it was on the other side of the city due to the womans time constraints of running her own business. Juliana didn’t mind the long trip, the conversation between the pair flowing easily. 

“You were popular in high school, right?” Juliana asked, although she felt like she already knew the answer.

Valentina quirked one eyebrow, the smirk on her face giving away her answer. 

“Maybe. But they called me ‘hotslice’ in my final year of school.” Valentina said casually. 

Juliana laughed through her nose at the confession. “Because you’re a hot slice of….?” 

The girl snickered as Juliana trailed off, expecting Valentina to finish the sentence for her. “Oh, God, no. That’s not where it came from. I wish!” 

Valentina chewed on her bottom lip as Juliana lifted one of her own eyebrows in response, a look of disbelief on her face. 

“Good to know you think I’m hot, though.” Valentina said mischievously. 

This time it was Juliana’s turn to laugh, her eyes rolling dramatically. 

Valentina continued chewing on her bottom lip, trying to hold back a grin, drumming her fingers on her chin. “It started with my friend Sergio. I used to sneak up on him, line my hand up with his inner thigh and slide it quickly up his leg. It used to scare him and he makes this hilarious sound when I do it. It almost became a competition, how many times I could make him squeal. My friends and I dubbed it hotslicing, but I have no idea why.” Valentina’s head leant back to rest on the back of the seat, her chest and shoulders shaking, silent chuckles wracking her body.

“You are ridiculous.”

“That’s not even the funny bit. During our final year of school, we had to participate in a certain amount of fundraising events. My friend Veronica and I volunteered to collect money at a film night the school was holding. We dressed up as nuns, in theme with the film, and drank a little too much tequila before the event.” Valentina shook her head, her smile growing wider. “I spotted Sergio through the crowd and snuck up behind him, as I usually would. I hotsliced him, cackling maybe a little too loudly, congratulating myself on how great the prank was.” 

As Juliana pulled up to a red light, Valentina could no longer hold it back. A string of laughs erupted from the back seat as she bent forward, her hair cascading over her face, her hands clutching at her stomach. Juliana turned in her seat to watch it unfold. Valentina’s sweet laughter immediately affected her ability to focus on anything else other than the lightness emitting from the older girl. When Valentina finally looked up, her eyes were rimmed with tears, her face completely transformed into one of complete and utter delight. Juliana couldn’t help but join in with the hilarity, entranced at how Valentina just let go, her whole body reacting to her laughter. 

“It turns out I was drunker than I thought. When the man turned around, it wasn’t Sergio. I almost passed out when I realized it was our principal. I was dragged into his office and suspended for inappropriate touching and being drunk at a school event.” Her voice was higher than usual, attempting to talk though her laughter. She had to wipe at her eyes as her tears threatened to ruin her make up. Juliana turned as the light turned green, diverting her attention back onto the road, her smile still wide on her face. “My dad was furious. I had to go to work with him for the week, and he gave me the most boring, mundane jobs. When I returned to school, I was infamously known as hotslice.” 

“I was right, you are ridiculous.” Juliana said with a chuckle. 

“What about you?” Valentina asked when she had finally quelled her amusement. 

“I never did anything crazy like that in school.” Juliana replied with a slight shake to her head.

“What’s the craziest thing you did as a kid?” 

Juliana contemplated the question. There were plenty of crazy things she was involved in, most of which she’d rather forget. Juliana spent many hours working hard to lock away memories of her father, but she still struggled with feelings of abandonment and rejection. She had a couple of good friends in school, but she was far from being in the popular crowd. She kept her head down, afraid of getting into trouble in fear of her parents finding out and bearing the brunt of the consequences. So her reckless behaviors were few and far between. Instead of dredging up memories that she would rather ignore, and ruining the easygoing atmosphere between them, she thought of a story that might help her to hear Valentina’s laugh again. 

“Okay, I have a story for you about something I did as a kid, but it’s nothing too crazy.”

Juliana caught Valentina’s reflection in the mirror. Valentina’s eyes were shining. 

“I’m excited to hear it anyway.” Valentina replied, her smile still lingering on her face. 

Juliana nodded, her hands relaxing on the steering wheel as she came to another red light. 

“Sometimes when my parents were away working, I’d have to organise my own dinners. Of course, as a young teenager, I wasn’t going to go to too much effort to cook myself a meal. One evening, the only real food in the house was a brand new box of Froot Loops.” 

“That’s all the food you had in the whole house?” Valentina asked, immediately concerned.

Juliana paused and realized what she had said. She wasn’t here for a pity party, so she hadn’t divulged too much about her upbringing. She brushed it off as if it meant nothing, hoping Valentina would ignore it and move on. 

“Yep. But we didn’t have any milk. Not too much of a dilemma for my young self. I was starving so I just opened the box and ate them raw.”

“That’s gross!” Valentina exclaimed. She had leant forward in her seat to listen more actively. Juliana could smell her perfume, the scent filling her up. 

“Super gross, but I was 14 so I figured it was fair game.” She said with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders. “Anyway, I finished the whole packet in front of the TV and quickly discovered, once it was too late, that if you eat too many Froot Loops they hurt your mouth. The next day in science class, I got a little bored and decided to write Kelloggs a letter voicing my displeasure.” 

Once more, the beautiful sound of Valentina’s giggle filled the car. “What?” She asked, disbelievingly, between laughs.

“That’s right. I felt it was my duty as a consumer to let them know that the ‘Loop’ is, in fact, quite sharp when indulging in the cereal as a dry meal and an individual can end up injured after a few successive hours of eating.” Juliana said in mock seriousness. 

“Now who is the ridiculous one?” Valentina shoved at Juliana’s shoulder, her tone laced with amusement. 

“That’s not even the best part. I finished the letter advising them that if they should wish to amend the issue, I would happily accept free product at the return address.”

“Oh my God.” Valentina said slowly, her eyes never leaving Juliana, completely entranced in the story. 

“I never really enjoyed science, so once a week I’d draft a letter to Kelloggs during those lessons, doing my best at coming up with different and creative arguments. This went on for about six months. During that time, I also continued to cut up my mouth with dry Froot Loops for dinner every couple of weeks.”

“You didn’t learn from the first time?” Valentina asked dubiously, her voice lilting. 

She turned her head, poking her tongue out playfully as she regarded the crinkling blue eyes gazing back at her. “After six months I gave up, or got bored, having never received any response from my glaringly sarcastic and absurd letters. But one afternoon when I got home, my mother greeted me. She asked me what the hell I’d been up to.” Juliana grinned at the memory of her mother’s flustered face, her arms flying as she examined her daughter on what her idea of a joke was. “Turns out Kellogg’s had received all of my letters. There were two boxes on the front steps. Inside were 24 boxes of Froot Loops with a note saying ‘With compliments from Kellogg’s USA.’”

Once more, Valentina was overcome with her laughter, tears filling her eyes and her middle section held tight. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something about the sound of Valentina’s laughter that Juliana responded to. It was more than just enjoying the sound, she felt it in her bones. Her heart beat faster in her chest in reaction to it. 

Juliana replayed the sound in her head while waiting for Valentina, who happily skipped into the restaurant when Juliana had dropped her off.

When Valentina finished her lunch with her godmother, she returned to the vehicle with a disposable cup of coffee. She looked utterly radiant, her long legs and chestnut hair taking Juliana’s breath away. She stood in front of Juliana, holding the cup out in front of her. 

“For you, Loops.” She said with cheeky grin on her face. 

Juliana took the cup with narrowed eyes, her own smile beaming across her face at the nickname. 

“Thanks, hotslice.” She responded with a wink. 

Valentina threw her head back and cackled, and Juliana couldn’t take her eyes off her. After a moment, Valentina moved towards the car, opening the front passenger door. Juliana looked at her quizzically as she stood, not yet getting into the car. Valentina had always ridden in the back, so the initiative from the older girl to change things up took her by surprise. 

“C’mon, let’s go home.” Valentina called out. 

Juliana was slow to react, but when her brain finally kicked in, she nodded her head and got herself into the drivers seat. Looking beside her, Valentina clicked in her own seatbelt and turned to Juliana. They smiled at one another, completely unrestrained. This could either be very distracting for Juliana, having Valentina so close, or may only serve to make their interactions even easier. Whichever way it went, Juliana was all for it.

Over time, she almost forgot about the lost and lonely girl in the back of the car the night of her first shift. Soon enough, however, she was reminded of that aspect of Valentina’s life, and she was baffled at the difference in the girls behavior. 

A few days later, when she picked Valentina up from her afternoon classes, Lucho and one of the girls from the first night also got into the car. Juliana pretended not to mind that Valentina got into the back seat, but the sinking feeling in her stomach betrayed her. Juliana greeted them politely and typed in the restaurant Valentina told her into Google Maps before departing. On their journey, she couldn’t help the cold sensation that crept over her skin whenever she saw Lucho’s hands on Valentina. She had no control over way her eyes narrowed when she heard the female friend, whom she soon discovered was named Nayeli, dismiss something Valentina said as if it were unworthy of discussion. The few times she caught Valentina’s eyes in the mirror, the look of despair and anguish was back, etched into her features, darkening the perfect blue Juliana admired. She didn’t know why, but it made her chest constrict and her palms sweat. 

“What’s the plan for Guille’s birthday this weekend?” Lucho asked while he draped his arm around Valentina’s shoulder. 

“We’re just having a quiet night. He doesn’t want anything too crazy.” Valentina replied as she gazed out the window. Her voice lacked its usual brightness.

“Oh, c’mon baby. Maybe we should throw him a party.” 

“No, he said he doesn’t want one. He’s happy with just hanging out with a few of us.” Annoyance crept into Valentina’s tone.

“Well, I think it’d be much more fun if there was more than just a few of us. Your house is perfect for a party, Vale. And you haven’t done anything fun at your place in so long.” Nayeli was practically begging. 

Juliana found the curly-haired girl to be pathetic, knowing full well she probably just wants to take advantage of the perks of being friends with a rich girl. She struggled to not roll her eyes, instead shifting them from the road to the rear-view mirror. Valentina was chewing at the inside of her cheek, her stare still locked to whatever was flying past her window. 

“If you want a party, talk to Guille yourself.” She answered bluntly. 

Lucho and Nayeli fell into their own conversation then, planning the weekend ahead, leaving Valentina to her own thoughts. 

Juliana swallowed as she tried to focus on getting them all to their destination safely, but her mind was full of Valentina. There had to be some reason why Valentina let the other two stick around, why she spent her time with them. But she couldn’t understand it. She curled into herself when Lucho was around, almost unresponsive to his advances, her whole body shutting down. She doesn’t know how Lucho continues, completely unfazed with her lack of reaction, or how he doesn’t see how sad she is. The easy-going girl Juliana had come to know disappeared and was replaced with a shell of her former self. 

Her brows creased as she thought about it, completely puzzled by the whole situation. When she finally pulled over at the restaurant, Nayeli and Lucho clambered out, leaving Valentina alone inside the vehicle. She made no move to leave, her eyes shifting to look at Juliana. 

“Are you okay, miss?”

Valentina dismissed the question, instead answering with her own. “Will you be working Saturday night?” 

Juliana hesitated for a moment, counting the days. Her shifts were patterned to work 7 days in a row, with 3 off. This meant she would be working the upcoming weekend. 

“Yes, I’ll be working.”

Valentina’s expression softened slightly, her lips twitching. “Good.” She responded before sliding out of the car and joining the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope i've developed their backgrounds well enough by now and you can connect with them in some way. I'm excited about my ideas for the next few chapters. No outlines have been done and my head is all over the place, but hopefully I can pull something together! I hope you are enjoying this AU thus far :)


	4. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guille's birthday party sees the girls interact a little more without the barrier of a seat between them...

There were definitely more people at Guille’s party than expected. All drivers and security staff had a meeting earlier that day to discuss the management of around 30 guests to Guille’s birthday gathering. Juliana’s job was to escort any guests home as requested, and to stay on grounds and keep a look out for any trouble in the meantime. As Juliana stood in the garden of the mansion, looking in through the floor to ceiling windows of the entertainment area located on the western side of the mansion, she estimated around 60 people mingled around the area. She had a gut feeling that she knew who was responsible for the increase in size of the party, but she wasn’t here to make assumptions. 

She took a deep breath and looked upwards, admiring the darkness of the night sky, the crescent moon shining above.

A wet nose nudged her hand. She looked down to spot Max nuzzling into her side. 

“Hey, boy. What are you doing?” She scratched behind his ears and bent down to be nearer to his height. She continued to make conversation with the dog, his tongue flopping happily around his mouth as she spoke. She giggled when the dog tried to lunge forward and lick her face, momentarily knocking her off balance. 

It was 9pm and the party had been in full swing for two hours. The song changed and she could hear a squeal of delight ring out from the bar area.

“How wild do you think this party is going to get, hey boy?” 

Max whined in response, his head tilting to the side. She snorted in amusement. “Great.”

Juliana stood and wiped her hands together to get rid of the residual hair. She made her way towards the kitchen to wash her hands, almost running into Chivis as she stepped over the threshold. The old woman was muttering under her breath, picking up discarded cups and used napkins scattered around the house.

“Are you alright, Chivis?” 

Chivis looked up immediately, as if she was snapped out of a trance. Juliana assumed the frown on her face had been plastered on since she found out the Carvajal siblings would be hosting an event at the mansion. 

“Look at this mess!” She exclaimed, her arms flapping around wildly. “These young people have no regard for others. This will take me all day tomorrow to clean.” 

Chivis was clearly flustered, but Juliana could tell she wasn’t too put out. She knew Chivis secretly liked keeping busy, tidying up and looking after the Carvajal children. Juliana found out earlier that week that Leon Carvajal had employed Chivis when he met his first wife 29 years ago. She helped raise the children and was basically a member of the family. 

“Here, let me help.” She offered Chivis a cheeky smile as she began picking up any rubbish she found laying around, rearranging any furniture that had been moved and putting back anything that seemed out of place. 

She paused quickly as she picked up an old family photograph. An involuntary smile crept onto her face as her eyes were automatically drawn to a very young but bright-eyed Valentina, gripping onto her father as they stood in front of a pool, her smile wide and carefree. Her chest tightened as she took in the young girl. She wanted to reach through the photo and whisper in her ear, tell her to hold onto those memories that she so cherished, that she would need to lean on them when she was older. Juliana still hadn’t worked out what it was about the girl that bothered her. But she was finding it more and more difficult to walk the line of professional and friend. She so desperately wanted to ask her what was happening in her life to dull the light in her eyes. She so desperately wanted to tell her that Lucho was no good for her, that she needed to be rid of all the toxicity surrounding him and the people she calls her friends. That she deserved better than those people. But it wasn’t her place, and to her own astonishment, she had managed to keep her mouth shut thus far. 

With a grimace, she placed the photograph back on its shelf and continued helping the old woman, moving from room to room. 

“Thank you, my girl.” Chivis said as she pinched Juliana’s cheeks right after she returned from dropping another bag of rubbish outside. 

“Anytime. Don’t get yourself too worked up about all this.” Juliana said, gesturing around the room with her index finger. “It can all be fixed up tomorrow.” She dropped her chin and raised an eyebrow at the old woman, urging her to listen. 

Chivis shoulders slumped and sly smile graced her lips. “Of course. I’ll try to relax.”

Juliana washed her hands and called at Chivis over her shoulder as she exited the kitchen. “Call me if you need me.” 

She made her way to the entertainment room. The music was blaring from a set of speakers set up at the far end of the long room. The bar was stocked and two waiters stood behind the wooden bench, serving guests any kind of drink they could ask for. The long timber bar stretched along the wall to the right, before meeting the glass window panels that ran the entire length of the room. People stood around the pool table, laughing at missed hits and cheering at surprisingly accurate ones. More people stood around conversing at bar tables scattered around the room, while the rest of the party goers danced along to the loud music in a space obviously cleared to create a designated dance floor. 

It didn’t take long for Juliana to spot the chestnut hair she had become so familiar with over her time working for the Carvajal family. It was swept up into a long ponytail, her features more prominent with her hair off her face. Juliana admired her profile from a distance, all soft edges and perfect skin. Valentina stood around one of the bar tables, drink in hand, with Lucho, Nayeli, Guille and two others she didn’t recognize. Valentina looked as if she was having a good time, her head snapping back as her chest heaved after someone said something funny. Juliana couldn’t help but smile as she heard the sound carry across the space toward her, her long neck bobbing as she shook with delight, holding on to Guille next to her. 

Valentina’s attention suddenly shifted and she locked eyes with Juliana, her smile still lingering. Juliana could feel the heat spread over her face and neck as she had been caught staring at the girl. But if Valentina was surprised or annoyed at finding Juliana watching her, she didn’t show it. If anything, her smile grew a little wider, her eyes glinting in the dim overhead lights. Juliana bent her head sheepishly at the older girl and averted her gaze, taking a few steps to the side as if to check on something behind the bar. In reality, she needed a moment to re-gather her thoughts. 

Juliana chewed on the inside of her cheek as she busied herself with checking on the bar staff and sweeping her eyes over the other guests at the party. She tried her best to not look in Valentina’s direction, but it was inevitable at times. Each time she caught sight of the girl, she was completely mesmerized by whatever she was doing, whether it be speaking animatedly, laughing infectiously or listening intently. Her mannerisms were endearing, and it was obvious to see how people were drawn to her. 

As the night wore on, some guests began petering out, Juliana driving a few home when requested. By 11pm, about 30 people still remained. Juliana walked back into the entertainment room to find Valentina on the dance floor with Lucho and her friends. Guille had taken a seat at this point, engaged in conversation with a few of his own friends. It was obvious to Juliana that Valentina had consumed enough alcohol to be sufficiently drunk. Her movements were slowed and clunky, and she couldn’t stand properly on her own, occasionally falling into the people around her. 

Juliana walked closer to the dance floor, standing against one wall of the room, partially shielded by darkness. There was something about the way Lucho was looking at Valentina that made her skin crawl. They danced together, his smile more like a sneer as his hands snaked around Valentina’s body, pulling her close. The girl tried to turn in his embrace, and Juliana gritted her teeth as the man pulled at Valentina’s right arm, her body jerking at the harshness of the contact. She pushed at him weakly, her words too quiet for Juliana to hear. He spun her around, both hands now clutching at her arms, and he shook her. Valentina’s eyes scrunched together as she attempted to refuse him. 

Juliana stepped forward just as Lucho relaxed his grip and took a step back. Valentina’s eyes found Juliana’s over his shoulder. Instead of her expression softening, it became even more pained as her blue eyes churned with uncertainty. The look in her eyes coupled with the slight shake of Valentina’s head was enough for Juliana to tense her fists by her side. 

She took in a deep breath through her nose and spun on her heel as it all became too much. She could feel the rage bubbling away, deep within her, and she needed to get out of there before it got out of hand. She knew her anger existed, a part of her nature she wished didn’t burn away, hidden inside her, rumbling below the surface. It was times like now, when she felt the overwhelming desire to punch something or to scream profanities at someone, when she knew she really was Chino’s daughter. 

There were plenty of times she had seen Chino’s anger, his voice threatening, his body thrashing around the small trailer, his gritted teeth, clenched fists, heated words. 

She had known she picked up this same trait when she was six, when she was pushed over by another boy when they were playing. He came out with a scratch on his face. She had known it when she was eight, when she was unfairly accused of graffiti in the girls bathroom at school. The principal’s office was trashed while trying to discuss the matter, and she ultimately came away with a suspension. She had known it when she was twelve and some girls teased her about her clothes. She had known it when she was sixteen and a rumor went around the school that her mother was a stripper. By seventeen, she had learned coping mechanisms to manage the bursts of emotion, the control the tempest, to harvest the fury. She didn’t want to turn into the monster her father became. The most effective strategy, she found, was to run. And to give herself space to calm down. 

At that moment, that’s exactly what she required. So she strode through the house and eventually slid open a glass door, finding peace and quiet as she stepped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind her. Her hands found the cool steel of the railing and she gripped onto it tight, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. 

She tried to rationalize to herself what it was that worked her up so much. It was Lucho, the way he touches her, the way he treats her, the way he thinks he owns her. But really, she knows what bothers her the most. She was frustrated at the way Valentina just lets him. Her stomach roils when she thinks of the way her mother’s spirit broke each time her father yelled at her, or hit her. And it broke her heart to think that this girl that she had the pleasure of getting to know, this usually bright-spirited, free-loving, gentle, caring girl could just let this man treat her with such little disregard. And she was frustrated she was in a position where she couldn’t, or really shouldn’t, do anything about it. 

As she processed her feelings, she felt her fingers relax around the railing. They returned to their normal color as the blood was allowed to recirculate. Finally, the waves of frustration subsided and her vision cleared as she opened her eyes. She focused on the temperate night air as it kissed her face, stretching her neck and relaxing her shoulders from their tense position. She blew out a deep breath, letting the last remnants of tension leave her body. 

“Are you okay?”

Juliana’s heart lurched and her body tensed once more as she spun towards the sound, completely unaware anyone had found her.

Valentina was standing a few steps behind her, her fingers fidgeting nervously in front of her. Her chin was dipped as she struggled to maintain eye contact. She swayed slightly on her feet, but she looked significantly less affected by alcohol now Juliana stood face to face with her. 

“I’m fine, miss.” Juliana tried her best at convincing the girl. 

“You don’t have to call me that, you know. You can call me Valentina.” Her response came quickly. 

Juliana just nodded with a polite smile. Actually, she did have to follow certain formalities. Using the clients first names was not encouraged as it could blur lines. “Okay.” She dismissed the comment without rejecting it entirely. “Please, go back inside and enjoy the party.” 

Valentina’s face scrunched up a little at the suggestion. “I don’t really want to go back in there.” 

“Why not?”

Valentina hesitated for a moment before answering. “I just needed a break. Do you mind if I stay out here with you for a bit?”

Juliana realized she was still standing stiff, and she took a moment to consciously relax. She softened her expression and nodded. 

“Of course, miss.”

Valentina rolled her eyes slightly at the refusal to use her first name, but gave Juliana a small smile as she stepped forward, leaning her hip against the railing while still facing Juliana. 

“How has your night been?” 

Juliana chuckled a little at the question. “It’s been fine, just as you’d expect.” She turned to face Valentina now. “Have you enjoyed the festivities?”

Valentina sucked some air into her mouth, puffing out one cheek as her eyes wandered out over the garden below them. 

“I think Guille had a nice time, so that’s the main thing.”

Juliana nodded, following Valentina’s gaze and looking out at the grounds stretching out beneath them. There were a two people wandering around the garden path, drinks in their hands, giggling and stumbling as they walked. The lawn then stretched out towards a line of trees before it disappeared into the darkness of night.

“I think he’s so stressed at work sometimes that it’s nice for him to relax. He doesn’t do it very often, but I think tonight he let himself forget about his responsibilities and just had some fun.”

Juliana turned to look back at Valentina. “That sounds nice.” 

“Yeah.” Valentina replied casually as she focused back on Juliana, her eyes now sparkling. “Plus, it helped that Renata was here tonight.” Valentina couldn’t restrain the mischievous grin that spread across her face, white teeth shining as she snickered playfully. She leaned in closer to Juliana and whispered, “I think they’d be perfect together.”

Juliana was once more swept up into Valentina’s delight, her own face morphing to mirror the girl in front of her. “Yeah? Why do you think that?” 

Valentina bit her lower lip as she considered Juliana’s question, her eyes narrowing. “Well, he’s so laid back, but also so pent up. He gets so caught up in trying to please everyone that he often forgets to look after himself. Renata grounds him. He’s been different since she’s been around.”

“It’s nice that you have so much love for you brother.” 

Growing up, Juliana often wished for a sibling. When she was younger, she longed for someone to experience life with, to be connected to through the good and the bad, to share a bond bigger than friends. But as she got older, she realized that maybe she was an only child for a reason. That perhaps the souls that were meant for Lupe and Chino had been sent to another family, a family more stable, a family that could give that soul a more wholesome upbringing. But she was always envious of people who had siblings. She enjoyed watching the banter between them. 

“I got lucky with him. Eva, not so much.”

“You’re lucky you have siblings at all.” 

Juliana had never spoken about her family with Valentina, other than her mother. But Valentina clearly picked up what she meant. Juliana thought that she was far more perceptive than people gave her credit for. 

“Your parents never wanted any more children?” 

Valentina shivered as she spoke, her arms coming up to wrap around her body. Juliana took in the thin fabric of the dress clinging to Valentina’s slight frame. The girl would have barely an ounce of body fat on her entire being, and she could see the goose bumps ripple across her skin. She shuffled out of her suit jacket and raised her eyebrows in permission, holding it out to her. Valentina gave her a shy smile and nodded, turning her body slightly to her. Juliana stepped forward and wrapped her jacket around the girls shoulders, making sure it was pulled over her body as much as possible. 

Juliana resumed her position leaning against the railing, catching Valentina resting her face against the fabric of her jacket, before she continued. 

“I don’t think it was a good idea for my parents to have any more kids.” She confessed. She didn’t want to give too much away, but the presence of the girl standing before her kindled some strange calmness inside her. She looked up to blue eyes boring into her, her eyebrows quirked. She looked sad. 

“It’s okay.” She mumbled. “My dad just wasn’t the nicest person in the world and it would have just been another person to look after, or to shield from the harshness of the world. So it’s probably better off they stopped at one.” She shrugged it off, as if it wasn’t a big deal. 

She felt Valentina’s hand wrap around her wrist, her cold fingers pressing into the skin. The touch was firm, but kind. Valentina’s lips were set into a pout and her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. It pulled at something inside Juliana, thrumming like the plucking of strings on a guitar.

“I’m sorry.” Valentina choked, her throat bobbing.

Juliana was slightly taken aback by the show of emotion. Her eyes widened as they flickered across the wounded expression on Valentina’s face. Without thinking, she stepped forward, her hand moving to rest on Valentina’s cheek, wiping a single tear away that had escaped. 

“Hey, no. Please don’t cry. It doesn’t matter. I’m okay. It is what it is.” Juliana rambled as Valentina’s chin continued to quiver. 

Over the past few weeks, she had watched as Valentina interacted with her family and friends, and recognized how easy it was to read her. Valentina felt deeply, wearing her heart on her sleeve. It felt like someone had a firm grip around Juliana’s heart and squeezed it as she tried to calm down the beautiful girl standing in front of her. It was almost mocking, that as Juliana looked into Valentina’s eyes, she noticed the blue transformed when she cried, as deep and turbulent as the ocean. They were breathtaking, even when upset.

“It’s okay.” Juliana whispered into the space between them. She hadn’t realized it, but in her haste to comfort the girl, they had drifted closer. Valentina took advantage of the nearness, dropping her head to Juliana’s shoulder and wrapping her arms around Juliana’s waist. 

Juliana stiffened slightly at the contact, aware of the boundaries she was currently crossing with the girl she was paid to drive around the city. But as Valentina’s shoulders continued to shake against her, silent tears coating her shirt, she returned the embrace, her arms resting hesitantly around Valentina’s neck. As soon as Juliana’s arms settled, Valentina pulled her closer, their bodies pressing together. Juliana had to stifle a surprised groan at the quick movement. She looked around as best she could to ensure they were alone. They way the girl was holding onto her, the way the sobs were wracking her thin frame, made it obvious to Valentina that she needed her right now. She needed to be held. She needed to cry. She needed someone to comfort her. 

But in the back of her mind were her responsibilities of an employee of the Carvajal household. She wasn’t sure what would happen if she was caught holding the youngest daughter like this, but she also didn’t want to test it. She couldn’t see or hear anything concerning, so she focused her attention back on the beautiful, tormented girl in her arms. She stroked her ponytail and rubbed her back soothingly as she whispered reassuring words into the night air. She breathed in the addictive scent of Valentina and resisted turning her head to bury it in her neck. 

Juliana felt her shirt dampening with every moment that slid by, but that didn’t bother her. She was just happy to sit in the moment, offering a peaceful slice of respite. Eventually, Valentina’s shaking slowed, and she peeled her body gradually away from Juliana’s, but still stood within arms length. She wiped at her eyes as she settled, calming her breathing. Her face was splotchy and her eyes were red. She sniffed and finally made eye contact, looking a little embarrassed. 

“You don’t have to tell me what is wrong, but I’ll listen if you need to get something off your chest.” Juliana offered, speaking as softly as she could. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to take away from your story. It just hit me a little, that maybe my problems aren’t as big as I make them out to be.” Valentina’s gaze once again redirected out to the gardens beneath them. 

“Don’t do that. Don’t dismiss your own feelings. Obviously there is something bothering you, and that needs to be validated.” Juliana urged. “Can I help?”

“It’s just fucking Lucho.” As Valentina said his name, her face twisted. But Juliana didn’t miss the slight slur in her words, remembering she’d had quite a bit to drink tonight. Juliana made a mental note to remember how well Valentina can pull off a coherent drunk. 

Valentina took a deep breath before Juliana watched a smile twitch on her lips. She turned back to Juliana, her eyes alight. “Do you have a boyfriend?” 

Juliana smiled, amused at the sudden change in Valentina’s energy. She seemed excited at the prospect of learning more about this side of Juliana. “No, I don’t.”

A beat passed, Valentina’s eyes flicking across Juliana’s face. “Girlfriend?”

This time Juliana laughed out loud. She shook her head with a smirk on her face. “No girlfriend either.” She confirmed. 

“That’s probably a good thing. Relationships are more work than they’re worth.” 

Juliana nodded slowly. “I can’t really comment. I’ve never really dated.” 

Valentina frowned. “What?” She said in disbelief. “Never?”

“No, never.” 

“You’re beautiful. I’m sure you could land anyone you wanted.” Valentina chortled. “Why not?”

“I guess I’ve never found anyone I’ve been interested enough in to invest my time in.” Juliana admitted, pretending that Valentina’s comment didn’t affect her. 

It was true. She had a few suitors growing up, both local boys from the trailer park and a couple from school. But she had enough going on to worry about boys and their silly problems. She never felt anything more than friends for any of them, and didn’t have the time or energy to pursue anything further than that. 

Valentina hummed, her head tilting to the side as she regarded Juliana standing in front of her. Juliana chewed the inside of her cheek as Valentina continued to stare at her, the intensity picking up between them. She could suddenly hear her own breathing and the tingle that flashed across her skin, as Valentina shifted forward, her eyes never wavering. 

“I see the way you look at me.” Valentina uttered, her eyes breaking away finally, only to land to Juliana’s lips and back up. 

Juliana felt like she was in a trance, her feet glued to the spot. The smirk had well and truly fallen off her lips as Valentina’s blue gaze shone right into her. 

“How do I look at you, miss?” She managed to choke out, her throat dry.

Valentina’s eyes narrowed marginally, a playful glint behind dark eyelashes. “I can’t explain it.” She whispered. “But I can feel it.” 

Juliana tried to wade through the clouds that had taken over her brain. She knew that if she pushed this any further, if she let Valentina get any closer, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stop or explain what happened. With all the willpower she could muster, she clenched her jaw and broke eye contact, taking a step back, breaking free from Valentina’s spell. 

She could see Valentina straighten in her peripheral vision, blowing out her own huff of breath. 

The intensity that sizzled between them moments before evaporated into the night air, with a different sort of tension settling between them. Juliana looked back at Valentina, remembering why she was out here in the first place. 

“Why are you with Lucho?” She couldn’t help the accusatory tone in her voice. 

Valentina puckered her eyebrows at the question, turning her whole body to face out over the balcony. Her body language immediately told Juliana not to push it, but she could feel it rising. She should bite her tongue.

_She should…_

“Why do you want to know?” 

“I see the way he treats you.” She said more forcefully that anticipated. “You deserve more than that.” 

Juliana watched as Valentina’s jaw tightened, her shoulders tensing, her defenses rising. “What would you know about what I deserve?”

Juliana scoffed. “I see how you are when he’s around. You’re a completely different person. And you just let him walk all over you. You let him push you around like a ragdoll.” She could feel her voice quivering with pent up emotion, unable to keep her opinions on this topic to herself any longer. “No-one deserves to be treated like that. You need to get rid of him and find someone who treats you with respect, treats you as an equal.” Juliana hands were in front of her now, pleading with Valentina to listen. 

Valentina snapped. She flew around to face Juliana, a different kind of fire in her eyes. She wasn’t angry, but she seemed hurt, almost desperate. She waved her finger between them. “You know nothing about my relationship with Lucho. So maybe you should keep your opinions to yourself.” 

With that, she turned and stormed off. 

“Miss, please.” Juliana stepped forward, her arm reaching out to her. 

Valentina turned back to face her as she slammed the glass door shut. She looked fraught. Her eyes glistened, her brows knitted together, and her mouth downturned as she ripped herself away from the door and disappeared from sight.

Juliana stood on her own, feeling completely exhausted. It had already been a long day, and the whole interaction with Valentina was emotionally draining. She hung her head in defeat, the ache in her chest growing as she closed her eyes and wished she were at home in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Glad I got this one finished. I got stuck a little in the middle but it worked out, I think. Hope you enjoy, as usual.


	5. Fists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valentina finds herself in a rough situation. Juliana discovers more about the mysterious girl.
> 
> NOTE: there are themes of physical violence and DV in this chapter. Please proceed with caution.

Juliana worked the two days following Guille’s birthday party, relieved to reach her three consecutive days off. But her well-earned break was tinged with disappointment and an unsettling feeling in her gut. As she hung her keys on the hook on at the conclusion of her final shift in the early hours of Tuesday morning, her shoulders dropped and her teeth ground together. Her movements were slow as she reached her car, turning the key roughly in the ignition and gripping the wheel with more force than necessary. She made her way to the apartment she shared with her mother, the bare streets blurring by as her mind wandered elsewhere. 

She hadn’t seen Valentina since the blue-eyed girl stormed out on her at the party. Juliana had hoped Valentina would text her for a lift somewhere, or that she would see her around the Carvajal grounds. But it became obvious the girl was avoiding her, not wanting to see Juliana after she crossed a boundary on Saturday night. The thought that her prying words had upset the other girl to the point where she didn’t want to see her anymore made her sick to the stomach. 

Juliana learned from a young age when to speak her mind, and when it was appropriate to keep her mouth shut. There had been plenty of times when she wanted to yell and scream at her parents, to force them to see how much they were hurting one another, how much their words and actions affected her. But Juliana was a quick study, understanding how to read a situation, and picked her moments to express her thoughts. Sadly, it was often when Chino wasn’t around. Eventually, she figured out that her thoughts and feelings generally had minimal impact on her parents behavior, as nothing ever changed. So Juliana came to the understanding that maybe it was best to keep her thoughts to herself, finding other ways to release her inner turmoil. 

Saturday was an exception. She had never in her life been so willing to speak up. It was so blatantly obvious to Juliana how much the girl was suffering, how the people around her dimmed her light, how poor her choices were when it came to her own wellbeing. She read the situation, and she knew it wasn’t the right time to say anything. Valentina was drunk, and Juliana was an employee, the last person who should be commenting on the girls private life. Even though they had spent the last few weeks getting to know one another, she knew it wasn’t her place. But she couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out, her emotions so full, overflowing into the world like a glass too full of water. She was so desperate for the girl to understand that she was better than the people she was hanging around with. 

She had spoken out of turn, and now the beautiful girl who brightened up her day was successfully avoiding her. And it didn’t sit well with Juliana. She spent her three days off replaying the conversation with Valentina on the balcony over and over in her mind. Her head dropped every time she recalled her soaking wet shirt and Valentina’s shaking shoulders as she sobbed. Her pulse quickened when she remembered the way Valentina’s eyes landed on her lips, the look of desire evident on her soft features, her words low and suggestive. Her stomach clenched when the final image of Valentina filled her mind, standing on the other side of the glass door, wounded as she took one final look at Juliana. 

Each time she was reminded of her last interaction with the taller girl, she went for a run, or squeezed at her stress ball, or sketched whatever came to mind. By the end of the three days, her sketchbook was filled with images of Valentina, she had done four loads of washing full of her running clothes, and her stress ball was looking significantly worse for wear. 

As she got ready for bed on Thursday night, she knew what she had to do. She stood in front of the mirror, toothbrush in her mouth, staring at herself seriously as she considered her week ahead. She couldn’t continue feeling so anxious about the things she said. She couldn’t move forward, knowing how she had upset Valentina. Hurting her was the last thing she had set out to do.

She couldn’t deny the connection she felt with the girl, or that she missed their conversations, or how much she longed for her company. When Valentina got in the car, she brought a certain lightness with her, and Juliana felt it flow through her. A calmness she couldn’t begin to describe filled her when Valentina laughed, a comfort she hadn’t felt before sinking into her skin when Valentina smiled, a curiosity igniting inside her chest when she caught Valentina’s gaze. She enjoyed Valentina’s company more than she cared to admit, multiple texts drafted as she thought about what she wanted to say, how she could apologize for crossing the line. Her finger hovered over the send button on multiple occasions, but it never felt right. She wanted to fix things between them, but she knew she had to do it in person. Juliana wanted to look in her eyes when she apologized, so Valentina could see the sincerity in her face, hear the honesty in her words. 

She drifted off into another restless sleep, nervous about her shift the following day. She desperately clung onto the hope that she hadn’t ruined whatever it was that she had developed with Valentina over the past few weeks. Whatever was broken could always be fixed, right?

Juliana woke, bleary eyed and baffled, to her phone vibrating obnoxiously on her bedside table. Her arm shot out quickly, fumbling with the device as her brain tried to catch up with what was going on. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the name flashing on her screen. 

**Valentina.**

“What the…?” Juliana mumbled as she sat up in bed, her heart beat picking up its pace. 

A million reasons as to why Valentina would be calling her at 2am ran through her mind in the two extra seconds it took for Juliana to slide her finger across the screen, answering Valentina’s call.

“Miss?” Juliana’s voice was thick with sleep. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Miss, are you alright?”

“Juliana?” A voice she was unable to recognize quizzed her through the phone. 

“Yeah. Who is this?” Juliana ran her hand through her hair. Her head was fuzzy. She still felt half-asleep. 

“It’s Maria. I’m a friend of Valentina’s from school.” She paused, possibly waiting for Juliana to respond. After a moment silence, she continued. “Can you come and pick up Valentina?” 

“Why? Where is she?” Juliana stifled a yawn as she scratched her eyes. 

“Well, she’s here with me. But she’s not in great shape and she asked me to call you.”

“What do you mean she’s not in great shape?” Juliana swung her legs over the side of her bed, flinching slightly at the cold floorboards under her feet, suddenly wide-awake. 

“She’s had a lot to drink and her and Lucho got in a fight.” The girl answered warily.

“Is she okay?” Juliana asked as she tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder, hastily pulling on a pair of jeans she had left hanging over the desk chair in her room. 

“Ummmm. I’ve put an ice pack on the cut…” 

Juliana stilled, her sock half on her foot as she took in the strange girls words. 

“Did he hit her?” She asked calmly, ignoring the storm swelling inside her. 

“Well, yeah. But this is the first time she’s bled from it, I think.”

The words chilled Juliana to the bone, bile rising in her stomach. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit her. Which means it certainly wouldn’t be the last. She saw red. 

“Text me the address. I’ll be right there.” Juliana swiftly ended the call, pulled on a grey sweatshirt and slipped on an old pair of Converse. She tied her hair up in a sloppy bun before snatching her keys off the kitchen counter and darting out the door. 

She had never driven so recklessly in her life as she had on her way to find Valentina. There weren’t many other cars on the road, so speeding and running the few red lights on the way to the address texted to her wasn’t too much of a problem. As she got closer to the street Maria had given her, Juliana rolled her eyes. The houses were huge, with enormous lawns and long, winding driveways. The blocks were all very generous sizes, the cars sitting in their driveways all probably worth more than Juliana could ever comprehend. The houses here weren’t quite as luxurious as Valentina’s, but whoever lived here certainly had money. As she weaved her way along the road, she wound her window down, music pumping in the distance. Gradually, multiple cars dotted along the side of the road and people were scattered along the sidewalks, stumbling as they walked to another destination, or congregating in groups with drinks in their hands. It was obvious Juliana had found her target. 

Juliana slowed quickly and pulled into a small space, fumbling with her keys as she raced to get out of the car and find Valentina. She dodged groups of people as she moved towards the large wrought iron gates of the house the party was clearly taking place. Her eyes scanned everyone frantically as she walked, but the familiar blue-eyed girl was no-where to be seen. 

“Maria!”

Just as she approached the gates, Juliana spun around at the name. Her heart sank as she took in the scene before her. 

The curly haired girl Juliana already knew as Nayeli approached the girl who must be Maria. Maria’s head snapped towards her name being called after lifting her head from her phone. She was tall with short black hair that sat on her shoulders. Her skin was dark, and her frame was not unlike Valentina’s. Maria smiled and hugged Nayeli and the two spoke animatedly. A third figure sat slumped in the gutter of the road, her head hung between her knees with an ice-pack pressed against her cheek. She swayed slightly as she sat, her hair hanging over her face. Juliana’s heart broke for the girl in the gutter. She looked so small, so fragile, and so alone. 

Juliana rushed towards her, crouching low in front of Valentina. She placed her hand gently on her back, not wanting to frighten the girl. 

“Miss?” She spoke softly. Her hand began rubbing her back lightly in an attempt to gain Valentina’s attention. “Miss, are you okay?”

Slowly, Valentina raised her head. It was immediately evident that she was very drunk. Her eyes were distant and unfocused, and Juliana had to reach out with her other hand to steady Valentina as she lost her balance from the small movement. Valentina kept the ice pack on her cheek as she blinked, her brows scrunched together as if she was bothered by the disruption. But Juliana could see the lost look in her eyes. 

“Miss?” Juliana could hear the concern in her own voice. 

Slowly, a shy smile spread across Valentina’s face and her features softened. 

“Juls.” Valentina breathed in relief. “You came?”

Juliana nodded slowly. “Of course I came.” She tried not to think about the way Valentina said her name, or how it affected her. It wasn’t the right time. 

“I knew you’d come.” Valentina slurred, her eyes blinking slowly. 

“Are you okay? What happened?”

Valentina’s expression changed instantly as she drew into herself, her lips pursing and her eyes shifting away from Juliana’s. 

“Excuse me. Who are you?” An accusatory voice snapped down at Juliana. 

She glanced up to find the two girls, Nayeli and Maria, looking down at her. Nayeli quirked an eyebrow at her and flicked her hair behind her shoulder. Maria cocked her head to the side as she glanced at Valentina and then back at Juliana. 

“I’m Juliana. I’m assuming it was you who called me to come and get Valentina.”

Maria’s slightly aggressive stance evaporated as she took in Juliana’s words. 

“Oh, great. You’ve arrived.” She chuckled, throwing her arms in the air emphatically. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

Juliana glanced down to Valentina, once again baffled at her friends complete disregard for Valentina’s safety. She rubbed Valentina’s shoulders before she called out to the two girls turning to walk away. 

“Hang on. What happened here?” Juliana asked seriously. 

Maria turned and shrugged her shoulders. “They were fighting and Lucho hit her. I don’t know what it was about. It’s not unusual for them to yell at one another.” 

Juliana looked past Maria to Nayeli. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Maria’s hand. “C’mon, lets go back to the party.”

Juliana’s jaw tensed as she watched the two girls turn and wander away, their arms wrapped around one another, their heads lolling around in laughter. She took in a deep breath and turned her attention back to the vulnerable girl sitting in the gutter. 

Valentina’s arms had moved to wrap around her legs, hugging them into her body, discarding the ice pack. The cut Maria mentioned was now exposed, the small gash sitting high on her left cheekbone. Juliana took a moment to inspect the wound, relieved it wasn’t deep enough to warrant a trip to emergency. She lifted one hand from Valentina’s shoulder and cupped Valentina’s cheek gently. She felt Valentina shift with the touch, their eyes meeting once more. 

Silence continued to stretch between them as Juliana grappled with her mounting emotions. She was so enraged with the situation, but her heart ached for the girl sitting in front of her. 

"I missed you." Valentina confessed, a lopsided smile appearing on her face. "I missed you this past week."

Juliana felt her whole world spin. She had to bite at her lip to stop the most ridiculous smile creeping onto her face. "I missed you too."

“You’re really beautiful.” Valentina whispered. 

Juliana’s eyes narrowed slightly, taken aback by the comment. Was Valentina trying to kill her? “And you are stunning.” She replied when she found her words again. “But you’re also really drunk. We need to get you home.”

Valentina nodded her head slightly. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.”

Juliana regarded the girl seriously as neither made any move to leave just yet. She bit her lip as she battled with her next words. She didn’t want to take advantage of a drunk Valentina, but she needed to know. She wanted to help. This might be her only chance.

“But first, you need to tell me what happened here.” She said softly as her thumb stoked Valentina’s cheek. 

Valentina broke eye contact, wincing slightly at the memory. “It was Lucho.” She stated simply. 

“Why did he hit you?”

Valentina huffed out a breath, her shoulders rounding into herself in a move of defeat. “Because of the photos.”

Juliana cocked her head slightly. That was not what she was expecting the girl to say, but it certainly pricked her interest. 

“What photos?”

Valentina chewed on the inside of her lip, the words locked inside. She looked back at Juliana, helplessness radiating off her, her eyes glassy. 

“What photos, Val?” Juliana urged gently. 

Valentina’s eyebrows raised slightly, a watery laugh escaping her lips. “I like it when you say my name like that.”

Juliana snorted, shaking her head slightly. “Val.” She said, tilting her head towards Valentina in encouragement. “Please, tell me about the photos.”

Valentina scrunched up her nose. Juliana could be patient. She sat, her legs beginning to ache slightly from her position on the road. She continued her gentle caressing of Valentina’s face, and felt Valentina fall into the touch further as time moved by. The sounds of the party, of people laughing and enjoying themselves, all faded into the background.

“Lucho has some photos of me saved on his phone.” Valentina spoke slowly, as if she were considering her words carefully. “I’m in some… compromising positions and in various states of undress.” She fumbled over her words, a light blush fanning under her skin. Valentina was clearly embarrassed, her eyes shifting downwards. She rested her chin on her knee. 

Juliana knew there was more to the story so she kept silent, waiting for Valentina to continue. 

Valentina shrugged her shoulders indifferently as she wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “He won’t delete them. He’s been using them against me for months. He constantly threatens to release them to the press if I break up with him.” Valentina shuddered and Juliana’s hand fell away from her cheek as she ducked her head back between her legs. She sat and rocked back and forth, holding herself together, her forehead pressed to her knees.

Juliana clenched her jaw as it finally understood the situation Valentina was in. This man who was supposed to be her boyfriend, supposed to be a supportive and reliable steady in her life, was blackmailing her. It explained Valentina’s complete switch flick when Lucho was around. It explained the concern and anxiousness etched into her features. It explained the contempt Valentina tried to hold back in front of him. 

It took all of Juliana’s willpower to not storm into the party right then to deal with Lucho. Instead, she dropped her own head, redirecting all her energy into smoothing out the fist she had tensed by her side, and continued to rub soothingly against Valentina’s back. 

“Hey.” She whispered, doing her best at comforting the broken girl before her. “Val, look at me.”

Slowly, Valentina lifted her head once more. Juliana let out a breath and leaned forward. “It’s going to be okay.”

Valentina’s mouth downturned. “How do you know that?”

Juliana gave Valentina a gentle smile. “I’d bet there are plenty of things that I know that you don’t. This just happens to be one of them.” She winked, trying to dissolve some of the tension. It seemed to work, a shy smile forming on Valentina’s lips in response. With her free hand, she found Valentina’s still wrapped around her legs and placed it gently on top. “I promise that everything will be okay.”

Valentina nodded once, the crease in her brows slowly disappearing as she heard Juliana’s declaration. 

“But for now, let’s get you home.”

“Home sounds good.” Valentina replied faintly, her fingers moving to intertwine with Juliana’s, her legs relaxing. Juliana took the motion as an indication that Valentina was ready and stood. She slowly pulled the blue-eyed girl up to her own height, stepping away in the direction of the car. Valentina’s wobbly legs couldn’t manage the step on her own as she stumbled forward. Juliana managed to catch her before she fell to the ground, wrapping Valentina’s arm around her shoulder as her own arm reached around her back, supporting most of the taller girls weight. 

“Okay. Here we go.” Juliana mumbled, mostly to herself. 

They gradually made their way to Juliana’s car, stumbling only a handful of times. Juliana quickly unlocked it and opened the passenger side door without any problems. The hardest part was folding Valentina into the passenger seat without hitting her head or dropping her on the ground. The blue-eyed girl was basically a dead weight, unable to control her own limbs. With much effort, Juliana finally got her into the car and gently rested her head back on the seat. 

“Thank you, Loops.” Valentina uttered, her eyes closing.

Juliana smirked, her heart fluttering at the nickname. She stepped forward and stooped down into the car, reaching forward to brush some loose tendrils of hair away from Valentina’s face. 

“You stay here. I’ll be right back and I’ll take you straight home. Okay?”

Valentina’s lips twitched into a smile, nuzzling into herself as she got comfortable in the seat. “Okay.” 

Juliana reached across and clicked Valentina’s seatbelt in, hoping it would keep her still while she was gone. The girl reeked of alcohol and sweat, but the scent of sunshine and vanilla still remained. Juliana did her best to not lean in too close, as tempting as it was to bury her head in Valentina’s hair and breathe her in. She stood and shut the door gently, trying not to disturb Valentina’s peace. She already looked like she was asleep, the small cut on her cheek still red and raw. 

Seeing the wound again unlocked the anger she had dampened down earlier for Valentina’s benefit. She locked the car and with once last glance at Valentina, she turned and strode back towards the large wrought iron gates. Her fists were once again balled at her side as she thought about Lucho and what he was doing. 

She pushed past throngs of people and entered the house. The music was deafening, there were people gyrating everywhere and the room was foggy, thick with sweat. She clenched her jaw and pushed forwards in search of him. 

She stopped dead still when she spotted him in amongst a group of people. His arm was draped over Nayeli, their faces close, their drinks held to the sides. She felt the rage bubble through her as she took in the scene. They were laughing, drinking and having a great time. 

As she was coming up with a plan, Nayeli and the other girls left, leaving Lucho with a group of boys. She smiled, dismissing any other plan, understanding exactly what boys were like and what they wanted. That’s the way she would play it. She shook her hair out of her bun, letting it fall loose around her shoulders. She took her sweater off and tied her white shirt off to the side, exposing her midsection. She plastered on the most flirtatious smile she could fake and sauntered over to him. 

Juliana placed her hand on Lucho’s shoulder, doing her best to not gag at the touch. He turned sluggishly, alcohol obviously flowing heavily through his system. His eyes raked over her body seductively. She gulped and pushed through her anger, winking at him. 

He raised his eyebrows and licked his lips. His friends around him all cheered loudly, a disgusting cacophony of masculinity. It was clear to Juliana he didn’t recognize her. She stepped into his space, her hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to lean down as she pushed upwards. She placed her lips near his ear. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”

She pulled away, biting her lip as seductively as she could. His friends all pushed at him, encouraging him. Juliana spun and walked away, turning to make sure he was following. Lucho stumbled through the crowd behind her, his man pack punching the air in celebration. She was disgusted that this boy would be so willing to follow a strange girl when he had a girlfriend. It was obvious what he was expecting to come from this interaction, and as she pushed her way through the crowd, she wondered how many other times Lucho has cheated on Valentina. Her skin crawled at the thought. 

As they reached the large, ornate staircase, she stopped. 

“Where’s your bedroom?” She asked as she trailed her finger from his elbow to his shoulder.

“Follow me.” He breathed. 

Juliana almost gagged as she smelt the alcohol on his breath. But she followed him up the marble staircase, rolling her eyes as he almost tripped several times. They made their way through a wide upstairs corridor before Lucho opened a door and almost fell inside. 

“Here we are.” Lucho leered at her. Juliana held her breath as she brushed past him into the darkened room. 

Normally she wouldn’t put herself in these kinds of situations. She knew he was stronger than her, and that he was clearly not beneath some seriously degrading behaviors. But she knew she had the advantage, with Lucho being as drunk as he was and with her anger swelling to the surface as she remembered Valentina, passed out in her car, a cut marring her perfect face. 

She wasted no time. She was not here for conversation. She was here for one thing only. As soon as Lucho shut the door and turned towards her, one of her balled up fists collided heavily with the side of his face. The sound of splitting flesh ripped through the room as the air left Lucho’s lungs when a second fist connected with his ribs. 

Lucho fell, off-balance and already severely affected by alcohol. As long as Juliana lives, she will never forget the sound of Lucho’s heavy body hitting the wooden floorboards of his bedroom. She looked down at him, worried about his retaliation. But he was silent and still, his body limp. 

Juliana panicked suddenly. She only wanted to hurt the boy, not kill him. 

“Fuck.” She mumbled, moving slowly towards his body. She leant over him and listened for his breathing. Nothing. She crouched next to him, extending two fingers towards his neck. She moved cautiously, worried he might wake up. She pressed her fingers hesitantly into the cold skin, relief washing over her as she felt his pulse. 

“Thank God.” She breathed. She sat on her haunches for a moment, catching her breath. 

She looked over the unconscious boy in front of her. She could continue laying into him, peppering his body with punches and kicks. But she knew that wouldn’t achieve anything. She came here to help Valentina, not to satisfy her own anger. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the rage dissipate, her muscles relaxing and heart beat slowing. 

She moved her neck from side to side, stretching the taut muscles there. With one last breath, she thought of Valentina, a calmness taking over. 

Juliana opened her eyes and got to work. She moved further down his body, patting at the pockets in his jeans. She smiled devilishly when she felt the rectangular object in his front pocket. She required both hands to help pull the cell phone away from Lucho, his jeans almost skin tight. 

The phone lit up her face when she touched the screen. 

_FaceID._

_Enter Passcode._

She looked down at Lucho and back to the phone. She lifted his head and moved the phone in front of his face. 

_Unlocked._

She moved and sat on his bed, opening the Photos app and scrolling through the albums. She found one titled “Valentina.” Opening it, she scrolled through them. She was once again blown away by the magnificence of the blue-eyed girl, a smile adorning her face as she continued scrolling through hundreds of images of Valentina. In some she was beaming, others she was unsuspecting, her natural beauty one to behold. 

Juliana’s smile faded as she finally found what she was looking for. She paused as the small thumbnail images sat in front of her. Doing her best to not invade the girl’s privacy, she selected all images and pressed the delete button. She then moved quickly to the Recently Deleted folder, removing them from there as well. For good measure, she pulled up Lucho’s iCloud account. She moved back to the unconscious boy to log in with his FaceID once more, double-checking the images were really gone. 

Satisfied with her handy work, Juliana sighed. She locked his phone and stood over Lucho. She slid his phone back into his pocket as best she could and stepped back. With any hope, he won’t even notice the images are gone, at least for a while. 

“You’ll get what’s coming to you, you piece of shit.” She spat vehemently at him before she grasped the door handle and left the dark room, pulling her sweater back over her head. She shook her body to remove the feeling of being in his bedroom, of how she had to behave to get him where she needed him. 

She rushed back through the crowd of party-goers, gulping in the fresh air as she jogged back down the driveway and through the gates. She pulled her keys out of her jean pocket and unlocked the car, falling into the drivers seat. She looked beside her to see Valentina had barely moved from when she left, her eyes closed and face restful. 

Juliana couldn’t stop her actions, her arm slowly reaching across and brushing her knuckles softly across Valentina’s cheek. Valentina’s soft breaths filled the car and Juliana smiled at the comforting sound. 

“C’mon, let’s get you home.” Juliana whispered. 

Juliana placed the key in the ignition, started the car and pulled her seat belt on. She double-checked on the sleeping girl next to her before pointing the car in the direction of the Carvajal residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, I've been flat out working through this Caronavirus situation. It's been a little hectic. Apologies for the late chapter. 
> 
> I hope this somewhat satisfied your hate for Lucho!


	6. Impulse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliana helps clean Valentina up and get her to bed.

“Just lean on me.” Juliana said as she helped Valentina from the car. 

Michael, one of the security guards on the gate, raised one eyebrow dubiously at Juliana as he pressed the button to allow entry onto the property. Juliana offered him an innocent shrug of her shoulders, hoping he wouldn’t have the nerve to mention this to Javier. Juliana parked the car in the sweeping driveway, directly in front of the white stone steps leading to the front door. 

Juliana brushed her knuckles along Valentina’s uninjured cheek to rouse her from her sleep, but had no luck. She got out of the car and opened the passenger door, squatting down to be closer to Valentina’s height. After a few gentle squeezes of her shoulder and whispers of her name, Valentina eventually came to. Her blue eyes were less cloudy than before, but were now seeped with tiredness. 

She pouted at Juliana once she waded out of her unconsciousness, her eyes quickly brimming with tears. 

“I’m sorry, Juls.” She choked.

“Hey, no. Don’t cry. It’s okay. We’re home now. You’re safe.” Juliana cooed as her thumb stroked the back of Valentina’s hand resting in her lap.

“I’m sorry you had to see all of that. I don’t want you to see me like this.” Valentina stirred then, attempting to lean away from Juliana. She grappled at the buckle of her seatbelt, yanking at it without success. Juliana could see Valentina was starting to get worked up again as she recalled the events of the evening, her chest heaving. 

“Hey, look at me.” She spoke softly, wanting desperately to calm the girl. Valentina’s shaking hands were doing her no favors as she still struggled with the simple task of unclipping her seatbelt. 

“Valentina.” Juliana spoke more firmly this time. Valentina stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Juliana. Tears stained her cheeks and her lip quivered as their eyes reconnected. Juliana could feel her own brows pinch together and her chest tighten as she took in the sight. She brushed her hand through Valentina’s hair, pushing it back past her shoulders. She heard Valentina let out a shaky breath as her hand rested against Valentina’s neck in the hope the touch may keep them both grounded. With her other hand, she reached across the girl and unbuckled her seatbelt, letting it slide back into place, effectively freeing Valentina from her seat. 

She returned her attention to the blue-eyed girl. “Val, listen to me. You didn’t do anything wrong here. You don’t have to be sorry for anything.”

With the soft words spoken, Valentina’s eyes squeezed shut as she pushed forwards, pulling Juliana into a crushing hug. Juliana could do nothing but return the embrace with equal ferocity as she felt Valentina’s body shake and shudder against her. Juliana knew it was reminiscent of the last time they had interacted, when Valentina cried on her shoulder after Juliana shared a part of her past with her. But this time felt different. Instead of Valentina holding back, it felt like she was pushing forwards. The energy in the way Valentina let herself get rid of her emotions was distinctly different.

Juliana held Valentina until the blue-eyed girl pulled back, wiping without care at her own face. Eventually, a shy smile crept onto her lips as she regarded Juliana looking up at her patiently. 

“Thanks for coming to get me.” Valentina said through some final sniffles. 

“Anytime.” Juliana replied. 

And in that moment, she realized she truly meant it. She would wake up at any hour, or drop whatever she was doing, if she knew the blue-eyed girl needed her. And it wasn’t just because of her job. Juliana was stunned to realize it was something more, too afraid to really delve into why her brain was so willing to be there for the older girl. 

Valentina’s eyes flashed at the softness of the admission, and Juliana felt a warm hand slide against her own as she was snapped her out of her own head. “I think I’m ready to go inside now.”

And so, Juliana found herself helping Valentina into the main house. Although Valentina had much more awareness and control over her own limbs this time, she still needed help maintaining her balance, leaning on Juliana as they walked. 

“Where’s your first aid kit?” Juliana asked quietly as she shut the enormous front door behind them.

“I think Chivis keeps one in the kitchen.” Valentina muffled through a yawn.

Juliana directed them into the kitchen and helped Valentina onto one of the bar stools. Valentina slumped in her seat as Juliana pulled a chair in front of the cabinet above the fridge. She had attempted to reach into it without assistance, but she was too short. As she stood on the chair, she looked back at the other girl. She had to stifle a laugh as Valentina placed her elbow on the cool marble of the bench top, her head leaning into the palm of her own hand. Her eyes were drooped closed and her head slowly slipped off her hand, the most adorable pout appearing on her lips at the motion. She then placed her head back into her hand for a second and third time, unable to keep herself contained. It was clear the alcohol and the intensity of her emotions had taken a toll; she was barely able to keep her eyes open and herself upright. 

_“Juuuuuls.”_ Valentina whined as Juliana finally turned and put her hand around the first aid kit, pulling it down and closing the cabinet. 

“Yes, Val?”

“I want to go to bed. Why are we in the kitchen?” Her voice was slow and childlike. 

“I just need to clean up your cut, okay? It won’t take long, I promise.” Juliana spoke quietly as she placed the first aid kit on the bench, and moved to wash her hands. 

The quiet of the night was soothing. She took in the low rumble of the refrigerator, the hum of the oven light illuminating the space, the quiet puffs of breath coming from Valentina. Juliana always found a beautiful calmness in the night, bringing with it a certain cloak of peacefulness. It offered her a time in which she could organize her thoughts, her often-overcrowded brain able to process in the silence it provided. 

She soon stood in front of Valentina, smirking as she rifled through the first aid kit, watching as Valentina’s head continually slipped from her own hand. Juliana ripped open the piece of gauze and ran it under some warm water, before resuming her position in front of the blue-eyed girl. 

“Here.” Juliana said gently. 

Using her free hand, she encouraged Valentina to sit up right in her seat, facing her. She pushed at Valentina’s knees so she was able to step between them. Valentina’s eyes stayed closed as Juliana stepped into her space, her free hand now holding Valentina’s neck. “Use this arm to lean on the bench.” She tapped Valentina’s left arm, to which she moved onto the cool marble. “And hold me with this arm.” She grasped Valentina’s right arm, placing it above her hip. 

She felt Valentina’s fingers lightly grip onto her sweater as one of her eyes slowly peeled open. 

“I can hold myself up, you know.” A slight smirk played on Valentina’s lips with the comment. 

Juliana raised one eyebrow in question. “You sure about that?” She let go of Valentina’s neck and took one step backwards. Valentina’s whole body tensed and both eyes flew open as she moved forward, completely unbalanced. Her left hand fumbled with the edge of the bench as her right tried desperately to keep its grip with Juliana’s sweater. 

Juliana laughed at the sight, stepping quickly back into Valentina’s space, once again helping her to sit upright. 

Valentina scrunched her nose up in response, taking a deep breath. “Fine. I see what you mean.”

“Just hold still. This won’t take long.” She said as Valentina closed her eyes once more.

Juliana worked quickly, cleaning the cut with soap and warm water before patting it dry. She operated on autopilot, trying to quash memories of patching up her mother after her father had a particularly rough night at work, or drank a little too much tequila. As she cleansed the wound softly, she couldn’t help but wonder what the girl was going to say about how she managed to injure herself. Does her family know about her situation? Surely her father wouldn’t let this kind of manipulation and blackmail occur to his youngest daughter. Juliana surmised that Valentina was doing an almighty job of attempting to deal with this herself. 

Juliana already felt sick at the inevitable future conversation she would have to have with Valentina about all this. She hoped Valentina wouldn’t be mad at her involvement in the situation, or the way she dealt with Lucho. Maybe she would never find out about her interaction with Lucho. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back on telling the girl what she thought had to happen now. She prayed Valentina would listen, that she would be smart and strong enough to do the right thing. She pushed her rising anxieties aside and focused on the task at hand. 

She reached back into the first aid kit and pulled out some antiseptic cream. She carefully placed a small amount on her index finger before carefully spreading the cream over the small cut on Valentina’s cheek. She smoothed it gently across the skin, noticing the beginnings of a bruise surfacing around the cut. 

“Mmmm, this feels nice.” Valentina mumbled. 

And for the umpteenth time that night, Juliana felt that ache in her chest. The seemingly innocent comment affected Juliana, her brows furrowing together. She wondered how long it had been that Valentina had been touched in a way that wasn’t harsh, in a way that didn’t hold a threat, in a way that she wanted to be touched. 

Valentina’s eyes opened at Juliana’s stillness. They gazed at one another, completely still, Juliana’s fingers still hovering millimeters away from Valentina’s skin. She felt Valentina’s hand flex at her hip, releasing the sweater and pushing into her skin, holding on tighter. Juliana’s eyes didn’t register the movement, but she felt Valentina’s fingers suddenly pressing into her chin. She was unaware that she had begun chewing on her bottom lip. 

“You shouldn’t do that.” Valentina whispered as her fingers gently pulled Juliana’s bottom lip free from her teeth. 

Juliana’s breath caught in her throat at the motion. She was losing herself in the blue eyes glinting before her. 

“Why not?” She finally replied, her voice sounding thin in her own ears. 

She watched as Valentina’s throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. “Because…” she breathed. 

The room was quiet, but in Juliana’s mind, it was loud. She felt the blood rushing through her veins, she could hear her breath pick up and become more labored, and she could see her hands begin to tremble against Valentina’s skin. Her eyes skimmed from Valentina’s eyes, down the slope of her nose and onto the full, pink lips that were sitting slightly apart. She watched, mesmerized, as Valentina’s tongue slid across her bottom lip, glistening in the low light of the kitchen. She used all the willpower she could muster to not lean closer, instead tearing her eyes away from Valentina’s lips to find radiant blue gazing at her own. 

Imperceptibly, Valentina moved forwards, her fingers still kneading teasingly into Juliana’s hip. Juliana found herself glued in place, her limbs failing her, her brain completely overtaken by Valentina’s fragrance invading her every sense. Slowly, Valentina’s face inched closer to her own. Juliana couldn’t recall a time in which she wanted to take something for herself anymore than this moment right now. But she pushed through the fog, remembering the events of the night. This girl had copious amounts of alcohol swimming through her system, not to mention she had been emotionally and physically abused. The last thing she needed was a confused kiss in the middle of the kitchen at a ridiculous hour of the morning with an employee of her household. 

Juliana blinked a few times in an attempt to gather her thoughts, and pulled away slowly from the enticing girl sitting before her. 

“Val.” She spoke softly, her throat dry. 

“Hmmmm?” Valentina responded as her own eyes flicked back up to meet her own, supposedly snapped out of her own trance at the sound. Juliana wondered if Valentina would remember this moment when she woke up in the morning. She wasn’t sure if she’d be more disappointed if she did, or didn’t.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Juliana said with a smile, gently pulling away to pack up the first aid kit. 

Valentina’s grip lessened and then fell away from her hip, and she immediately missed the connection between them. She shook her head as she moved about the kitchen, cleaning her hands and placing the first-aid kit back in the cabinet above the fridge. As she kept herself busy, she could feel the burning stare of Valentina. 

She pushed the chair back in place and held out her hand for Valentina to take. The two girls stood, staring at one another for a beat longer than what would be classified as acceptable. Juliana felt her heart beat increase once more at the intensity of Valentina’s gaze, the now familiar mesmeric pull tugging at her insides, urging her to move forward. Juliana fought it and stood still, breathing out a sigh of relief as Valentina took her hand with a timid smile. 

Juliana basically pulled Valentina through the house towards the girls bedroom. She knew the layout of the house, but she had never been inside any of the bedrooms. She had no reason to before now. On their journey through the mansion, Juliana had to shush Valentina when she made a particularly loud noise, whether tripping on a step or giggling too noisily. She had to stifle her own laugh a few times, completely endeared with the drunken girl trailing along behind her. She was grateful for the warm palm sliding against her own as they walked, Valentina’s fingers squeezing her own affectionately. 

Finally she grasped the door handle to Valentina’s bedroom, pushing it open and walking inside. She smiled as she took in her surroundings. There were photos clipped to boards around her room, her dresser was scattered full of perfumes, makeup and hair accessories, a chair in the corner was covered with an assortment of clothes, and her bed was made up with an array of colored pillows. 

Valentina let go of Juliana’s hand as soon as she spotted her bed, clumsily falling face first onto it. 

“I’ve missed you.” She uttered, her arms outstretched in an attempt to hug her bed. 

Juliana chuckled through her nose as she closed the door quietly behind her. The moon was bright enough tonight to not have to turn any light on. It illuminated the space perfectly through the large bay window. 

“Here, I’ll help you get into bed.” Juliana whispered. “But I need you to work with me here.”

Juliana reached forwards, placing all the decorative pillows on the floor next to the bed as she pulled the duvet down as far as she could. 

“Val, you need to scoot.” 

Valentina was laying sideways on the bed, in the same position from when she fell on it moments before. She made no indication that she was ready to move. 

“Can you take my boots off please?” Valentina mumbled into the covers. 

Juliana smiled and knelt, working quickly to pull Valentina’s boots of her feet. Valentina then flipped over onto her back. Juliana stood and offered her hand to Valentina. 

“I can’t sleep in my jeans. Can you help me with those, too?” Valentina asked sweetly. 

Juliana raised an eyebrow, frozen in place. She was torn between wanting to help the girl, and not wanting to do anything untoward. She was unsure if Valentina was drunkenly flirting with her, or if she was this friendly with everyone. 

“Please?” Valentina whined, her arms still outstretched on either side of her body. 

Juliana groaned quietly, moving slowly towards Valentina. Her deft fingers worked to unbutton the blue-eyed girls jeans, but she had to hold her breath as she pulled the zipper down. Valentina then pushed her hips upwards, indicating that she wanted Juliana to pull the jeans off her legs. 

Juliana looked up to find Valentina’s eyes now wide and gazing at her. This felt wildly intimate and Juliana struggled to maintain the regular cadence of her breathing. She knelt on the bed and reached forwards, slowly pulling at the waistband of the girls jeans, careful to not touch her skin. She shuffled them down over her backside, ensuring the girls underwear stayed in place. She felt her skin warm up as she tried not to look at the lacy underwear the other girl was wearing. Valentina giggled quietly as she rested her body back against the bed, this time raising her feet in the air. Juliana stood, rolling her eyes playfully as she yanked at the bottom of girl’s jeans. 

Valentina bit her lip as her pants slid down her legs. Juliana clenched her jaw as a way of maintaining control. Never before had she felt so on edge, so muddled, due to another person. She had always been a sensible girl, able to control her impulses. Tonight it had become apparent that perhaps she didn’t have as much power over her mind and body as she thought when it came to Valentina.

She ripped her eyes away from the older girl and walked to the chair already piled high with clothes, adding the now folded pair of jeans to the pile. 

When she turned back around, Valentina was sat on the bed with her legs crossed. She slid out of her leather jacket, throwing it without care to the ground, before folding her arms behind her. Juliana could do nothing but watch as Valentina unclipped her bra, and cleverly removed the item without taking her shirt off. As she pulled the length of the bra through her sleeve, she looked over her shoulder to look at Juliana with a playful glint, before throwing the item on the ground to join her jacket. 

She then huffed, scooting back across the bed before folding her slender legs under the sheets. Juliana smiled as Valentina sighed in contentment as she settled into her bed, pulling the covers over her slim frame. 

“Bed has never felt so good.” She admitted quietly, snuggling into her pillow. 

Juliana’s brain finally began functioning again, and her legs quickly moved her to beside Valentina’s bed. She sat down on the edge before tucking some loose hair behind Valentina’s ear. Valentina’s eyes fluttered open again as she watched Juliana. 

“Thanks again for tonight, Juls. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

Juliana gave a small smile in response. “You don’t have to. You sleep well, okay?”

“Wait, where are you going?” Valentina whined, her lips puckering. 

Juliana grinned as she smoothed some of her own hair that had fallen free of her bun back off her face. “I’m going home.”

Valentina’s arm shot out of the covers to grasp onto Juliana’s forearm. “No, please. You have to stay here with me.” 

“Val, I can’t stay here.” Juliana said incredulously.

“Why not?” Valentina’s disbelieving tone indicated that she could think of no reason to believe that Juliana staying in Valentina’s bedroom for the night would be a terrible idea.

“Because I start work in…” She glanced down to check her watch. “8 hours.”

“You work here. No-one will mind.” Valentina stated as if it was obvious. 

“Val.” Juliana droned, dragging her name out. 

“I don’t want to be alone.” The pleading in Valentina’s tone stopped Juliana. She clicked her teeth together as she observed the girl lying sleepily in her bed, the cut glinting against her skin in the soft moonlit room. 

She released a huff of air as she gave in. “Okay, sure. I’ll just be over there.” Juliana pointed towards the day bed. 

“You won’t go, will you?”

“I’ll only go once I know you’re sound asleep and completely safe. Okay?” Juliana reassured the girl. 

Valentina smiled and nodded her head, her fingers finally loosening their grip on Juliana’s forearm. 

“Sleep well, Val.” Juliana said as Valentina’s eyes finally fluttered shut. 

Juliana watched the girl relax for a few moments, her breathing slowly evening out. She was unsure what it was that urged her forwards, but Juliana felt herself moving down towards the girl. She leant in carefully, and before she knew what she was doing, she placed a gentle kiss on Valentina’s temple. 

Valentina hummed at the contact, nuzzling into her pillow even further. Juliana’s heart beat faster in her chest.

Juliana stood slowly and pulled the covers up tighter around Valentina, before moving over to sit on the window seat. She removed her shoes and got comfortable, sitting in amongst the pillows on the cozy seat. She took in a deep breath as her mind attempted to process the evenings events. 

Before she knew it, she was jolted awake by the sound of clipped shoes on tile. 

Her eyes flew wide open as she observed her surroundings. 

“Fuck.” She muttered as she realized she had fallen asleep on the window seat in Valentina’s room. She looked down at her watch to see it was almost 6:30am.

As she rubbed at her eyes and straightened up, she took a moment to look around. The room looked just as much Valentina in the soft morning glow than it did under the darkness of night. However, the light colors and extra accessories that went unnoticed last night made Juliana smile. There was a certain comfortability about this space that Juliana couldn’t quite understand. She stretched her neck as she looked over to the slumbering girl. Valentina was curled up into herself under the covers, with pouted lips and hair splayed out messily over her pillows. The tension was erased from her face as she slept. She looked peaceful. 

Juliana carefully slid on her shoes before padding over to the bedroom door, stepping around the red bra and jacket strewn on the floor. Juliana was glad Valentina wasn’t awake to see the slight blush fan her cheeks at the sight of the girls underwear. Valentina stirred slightly as Juliana slowly opened the door, twisting in her sleep to face Juliana again. Juliana stood still, watching, hoping not to wake the blue-eyed girl. Valentina grumbled and sighed, before finally settling again. Juliana released the breath she was holding and stepped out of the room, careful to close the door quietly before making her way down the hallway. 

The haze of contentment she felt from waking up in Valentina’s room eroded with every step she took. Tension began building up inside her, coiling inside her stomach, as she tried to think of excuses she could give if she was caught wandering the Carvajal mansion at this time of the morning. She knew someone was awake, most likely Chivis, by the sound that woke her not 5 minutes ago. Juliana felt her fists form by her side as she sneaked her way through hallways, down the stairs and out through the front door. 

The breath of relief she let out as she skipped down the white stone steps to her car was preemptive. As she unlocked her car and grasped the door handle to open the drivers side door, her name was called. 

“Juliana. Wait a second.”

She swiveled her head to spot Javier walking quickly towards her. 

“Javier. Hi. Good morning.” She said as he approached, stepping back from the vehicle. 

“What are you doing here so early? Your shift doesn’t start until midday.” Javier stopped in front of Juliana, his eyes curious. 

Juliana licked her lips as her brain raced to formulate a response. She figured it was best she stuck to some form of the truth. 

“I got a call from one of Valentina’s friends last night to pick her up from a party. They obviously didn’t know it was my night off.” She shrugged as she spoke, hoping Javier wouldn’t poke for more details. “I collected her and brought her home. That’s all.”

Javier narrowed his eyes at her. “Valentina?” 

“Ah, yes. Miss Carvajal.” She corrected, internally berating herself for the slip up. 

“What time did you pick her up?” 

Juliana clicked her tongue as she tried to act casual. “Around 3am, I think it was.”

Javier nodded slowly. “So why are you only leaving here now, at 6:30 in the morning?” He wasn’t being aggressive or intrusive; Juliana knew he was just doing his job. She couldn’t help feeling frustrated at herself for getting into this situation. 

Juliana fiddled with the keys she had in her hand, her eyes unable to make contact with his. A few moments of awkward silence passed before Juliana opened her mouth to speak. “Look, I know this sounds strange. I fell asleep. I’m really sorry. It was a long night and I couldn’t help it. It won’t happen again.” 

Javier reached across and placed his hand on Juliana’s shoulder, presumably to calm her from her rambling. “Hey. Relax.” He said, and Juliana made a point to take in a deep breath. His eyes were calm, and it helped to settle Juliana’s rising nerves. “But you can’t be doing that. It’s nice that you went out and picked up Miss Carvajal when it wasn’t even your shift, but don’t make it a habit.” 

Juliana nodded. 

“Just remember, we are their employees. We must be professional. We don’t want to cross any lines.”

“Of course, Javier. I’m so sorry. I’ll be more careful in future.” 

Javier nodded with a smile and stepped back, making his way back down the driveway. “I’ll see you in just over 5 hours!” He called back over his shoulder. 

Juliana made it back to the apartment she shared with her mother without remembering the journey. Her mind was up in the clouds; replaying every interaction she had that night with the blue-eyed girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't really have any idea what i'm doing here..... but i'm still going! I had the intention of adding the next scene in this chapter as well, but it got a little bigger than anticipated. At least the next chapter is pretty well formulated in my head so maybe it won't take so long to write. But... who knows!   
> I hope you enjoy the building tension!


	7. Break-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valentina makes a decision about Lucho... and then follows through with it.

Juliana covered her yawn with the back of her hand as she swiped into the Carvajal premises ten minutes before her shift began that day. 

By the time she arrived back at her apartment earlier that morning, joined her mother for breakfast whilst dodging questions about her whereabouts that night, and ironed her clothes for the week, it was time to turn around and make her way back to the Carvajal residence. 

Juliana waved sheepishly to Javier as she stepped through the gate and made her way to the large garage. She put her bag down in the small office and picked up the keys to the vehicle she would be driving. Her routine at the start of every shift began as she completed the usual checks on the vehicle and log book. As she went through the motions of cleaning the car and ensuring it was ready to go, her mind drifted back to the evening before. 

Juliana wasn’t sure if it was the lack of sleep or the events of the previous night that stirred the strange feeling in her gut. As she thought about, it felt like a mixture of giddiness and sorrow, of hope and despair. And those feelings were all wrapped up in the blue-eyed girl who had captured her attention from the moment she laid eyes on her. 

She could no longer deny the growing attraction she was developing for Valentina. Attraction wasn’t a foreign concept to Juliana, but this was something else entirely. Growing up, she had the occasional boy show interest in her. She mildly flirted back to maintain a sense of fitting in, but for the most part, she wasn’t interested. For a while she wondered if there was something wrong with her. If she was honest with herself, she still had thoughts of self-doubt, of whether or not she could possibly feel that all-consuming love with another person. For all of her life experiences so far, she was certain it wasn’t in her future. There were certain qualities about people she enjoyed, triggering a small spark in her brain, but she really only followed through with two people. 

Carlos was a dark-skinned, brown-eyed, strong young American boy. Juliana met Carlos in the trailer park at seven years of age, when Carlos’ family moved to town, and were pleasantly surprised when they both arrived at the same school at the start of the school year. His parents were young, poor and ill-equipped to deal with a child. Carlos knew he was an accident, and his father never let him forget it. His childhood was not unlike Juliana’s, his father turning to the drink while his mother worked long hours at a local bar to make ends meet. He learned to become self-sufficient and independent at an age where he should have been enjoying his childhood, just as Juliana had. Juliana and Carlos bonded at a young age over their shared trauma, often escaping their own tumultuous home lives and roaming the trailer park, skateboarding and kicking a football together. Juliana appreciated the connection she made with Carlos, grateful that she wasn’t the only lost soul doing its best to make their way through life. It often soothed the sting of loneliness and rejection she consistently felt when at home. He made her laugh, was kind and thoughtful, their conversations full of hopes and dreams for the future, for when they made it out of that place.

It wasn’t until Juliana was seventeen, when sitting on the small, broken play equipment the trailer park had to offer, that she discovered Carlos might be more interested in her than just friends. He lent in slowly, and Juliana let him. He was her first kiss. She closed her eyes and returned the embrace the best way she could. His grin when they broke apart was wide, his eyes full of wonder. She reflected the smile, but Juliana couldn’t help the uncertainty she felt growing in the pit of her stomach. That night, she thought about all the good qualities of Carlos. Juliana could recognize that he had many, and that he was an attractive young man. Any woman would be lucky to receive his attentions. But there was something missing, a certain exciting feeling she just couldn’t summon.  
They continued their fling from Juliana’s last months of seventeen and into her eighteenth year. She lost her virginity to him, and to Juliana’s surprise, the experience wasn’t a complete disaster. She craved the connection to another person, but she just felt like her soul was not really invested. She didn’t feel those butterflies, that intense desire for the other person that all the books she read had described. He asked her to be his girlfriend on multiple occasions, and Juliana always found a way to not commit to the label. When Lupe arrived home that fateful night and told her to pack her things, she thought fleetingly of Carlos. She wanted to see him, to say goodbye. With Lupe being in such a rush, she never got the chance.  
Juliana never saw or heard from him again. She thought maybe the sudden disappearance of Carlos from her life might rattle her, that she might miss the much needed distraction he brought to her world. She grieved for him, but not for their romantic relationship. She mourned for the loss of connection to another person who understood her, for friendship, for a sense of belonging. 

George was the second man in her life with whom Juliana could say she felt some semblance of attraction to. He was a year younger than her, also living with his mother in the apartment next to theirs. He was the first friendly face she met in the new city, and she was grateful for the attention. He was physically quite different to Carlos. His sandy blonde hair and green eyes were a stark contrast to the previous boy, but his kind demeanor and playful nature was what attracted Juliana to him. He grew up in Mexico City, and graciously introduced Juliana to the city. What was initially a cheerful friendship inevitably slipped into something more. Juliana liked to think of it as nothing more than a casual relationship, enjoying the conversation and human connection more than anything else. George hinted a couple of times to moving into something more serious, but Juliana quickly shut the conversation down when she sensed George was seeking more. She wanted to be with him, but she struggled to build on those initial feelings of attraction towards him. It all felt superficial, replaceable. She didn’t think about him when they weren’t together. She didn’t feel those butterflies society told her she should be feeling. When she thought about her future, she couldn’t see George standing beside her. As much as she wanted those feelings, as much as she tried, those thoughts and emotions just didn’t exist.  
Over time, Juliana got busier with work and had less time for the boy next door. Eventually, George figured out that Juliana wasn’t going to pursue anything further. After the initial hurt, he finally accepted it. Unwilling to let go of Juliana entirely, they continued their casual relationship. Juliana was grateful that George was willing to stay close, without pressuring her for anything more. She was happy for the human contact, for the connection to someone close to her age. She was happy for the friendship. 

When Juliana reflected back on these two men, her feelings towards them and her experiences with them, she struggled to place her growing attraction to Valentina. There was something distinctly different about the way her mind and body responded to Valentina. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of the girl and her body longed to be near her. It was nothing compared to her previous encounters. 

Juliana’s mind raced with a steady stream of questions to which she had no answers. Could this all be related to the blue-eyed girls suffering? Are you getting involved because you’re concerned for her safety, or is it something more? Why does she look at you like that, with that glint in her eye? Does she look at all of her friends like that? Is this normal for a friendship between two girls, or is it different? Should you step back now before you get too lost, too involved? Why are you attracted to a girl? What does that make you? What are you going to do about it? 

Her internal monologue was interrupted by approaching voices. 

“Papa, please. It’s no big deal.”

“If it’s no big deal, tell me what happened Vale.”

“I tripped over at that party last night. That’s all. You know how clumsy I can be. Nothing to worry about.” 

Juliana closed the passenger side door softly and turned as Valentina rounded the corner into the garage, Leon hot on her tail.  
Valentina hadn’t seen Juliana yet. Her hair was in soft curls, bouncing against her red-patterned cardigan. Her head was down and she walked quickly, her boots clicking against the concrete. It was obvious Leon was pestering Valentina about the state of her face, and the girl was clearly trying to brush it off. 

“Vale, I just want to make sure you’re okay.” 

Leon’s voice was strained, clearly concerned. His arms flailed about as he followed his youngest daughter, his strides working hard to match hers as she struggled to end the conversation. 

“I just –“ Valentina started, her words fading as she lifted her head and locked eyes with Juliana. The anxiousness in her brow vanished, replaced quickly by a perky smile as she continued to make her way over to Juliana. 

“I’m so glad you’re here. I need a lift to school. Is that okay?” Valentina spoke to Juliana as she walked swiftly towards her. 

“Of course, miss.” Juliana replied quickly, reaching behind to open the door to the back seat. 

Valentina’s brow quirked playfully as she made it to the car, reaching for the passenger door, opening it and vaulting inside. Juliana couldn’t help the smirk forming on her face as she shut the door she was holding onto. She was thankful their week apart hadn’t changed anything, her heart skipping a beat as Valentina took the initiative and continued to sit beside her, rather than behind. Juliana moved forward and grasped the handle of the passenger door. Valentina looked down at her with bright blue eyes and flushed cheeks. Juliana expected the girl to be nursing a significant hangover, but she looked just as fresh as any other day.

“As you wish, miss.” She tipped her chin down to hide her smile as she gently closed the door, Valentina safe inside. 

“Juliana.” 

Juliana spun around to greet Leon. 

“Good afternoon, Mr Carvajal.” Juliana replied with a polite smile. 

“What happened to Valentina?” 

Leon had been nothing but friendly and kind towards Juliana since she began working for him. But there was something about his stance and the firmness of his words that made Juliana falter. She didn’t want to lie to or deceive her boss, but she couldn’t betray Valentina. It was clear Valentina didn’t want her father knowing the explicit details of her evening. 

“I’m not sure, sir.” Juliana said with as much conviction as she could gather, her hands twitching by her side. She hated lying. 

Leon pursed his lips and tilted his head forward, regarding Juliana seriously. 

“I know you brought Valentina home last night. Javier reported it to me. You know what happened and I’d appreciate your honesty in this matter. I don’t want to remind you of your place here, but I will if I have to.” 

Juliana shifted nervously on her feet under Leon’s steady stare. She had no doubt she could lose her job over this. She was torn between what was right for herself, and what was right for Valentina. She took a deep breath and trusted her gut, going with the latter. 

“You’re right, sir. I did pick up Valentina from a party last night and brought her home. By the time I got there, she already had the cut on her face. Her friends told me she fell over. I brought her home, cleaned her up and put her to bed.” Juliana finally broke eye contact, unable to hold the intense blue eyes penetrating her. She looked down, her fingers interlocking and fiddling nervously in front of her. “I apologize if I over-stepped any boundaries. I told Javier it won’t happen again and I meant it. I’m sorry, sir.” 

She heard Leon sigh, and her shoulders relaxed slightly at the sound. 

“Juliana, look at me.” 

Juliana lifted her head to see Leon’s features matching his changed tone, soft and encouraging. 

“I didn’t mean to sound so serious. I was just concerned for Valentina.”

“I know, sir. Me too.” 

The sound of the car door opening behind them shifted their attention. 

“Papa, I have to get to school. Please let Juliana go.”

Leon nodded his head and Juliana turned her attention back to him. The patriarch stepped towards Juliana, lowering his voice. His hand fell on Juliana’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort the young girl.

“I appreciate you taking care of my daughter outside of work hours. Not many employees would do that. It’s nice to know Valentina has someone on her side here. If anything, I should be thanking you.”

“It’s not a problem, sir.” 

Leon smiled as he stepped back, releasing his grasp on Juliana’s shoulder. 

“Have a great day, Vale.” Leon called to his youngest daughter. 

“You too, papa. C’mon Juls!” Valentina replied before closing her door again. 

Juliana smiled at Leon and turned to walk around the car. 

“Look out for her, Juliana.” Leon called just before Juliana reached the driver’s side. 

Juliana stopped and nodded towards her boss. “I will, sir.”

At that, Leon turned and made his way out of the garage. Juliana climbed into the SUV, started the engine, clipped in her seatbelt and took a deep breath before turning to look at Valentina. 

A small smile graced Valentina’s lips as Juliana’s attention finally rested on her. They sat in the moment, just the two of them, as the car rumbled steadily beneath them, the car radio playing a soft tune in the background. Valentina had her confident mask on, but Juliana could see right through it. She could see the hint of embarrassment and humiliation in her eyes. She’d seen it before, she’d become accustomed to it. The only different was, now she knew why that look lingered when Lucho and her friends were around. And now that embarrassment and humiliation was redirected to Juliana, because now she knew Valentina’s secret. Juliana suppressed the urge to reach out and caress Valentina’s cheek, to comfort her and reassure her. To tell her she wouldn’t say anything, not if the blue-eyed girl didn’t want her to. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her, to cause her any more discomfort. But instead, she broke the moment. 

“You ready to go?” She asked gently.

Valentina gave a slight nod, that humiliation soon melting into fear. Juliana swallowed as she observed the change. She wanted to talk about it, but it wasn’t her place to speak. She was an employee who just so happened to witness something personal involving one of her employers. Juliana took a deep breath and decided to let Valentina take the lead on this. 

“Yes. To the University, please.”

Juliana grasped the gear stick and turned her attention to the front of the car, maneuvering the large vehicle off the Carvajal grounds and into the busy Mexico City traffic.

Keeping her mouth shut was harder than Juliana thought. She could sense the girl beside her squirming in her seat, trying to get comfortable. A range of thoughts crossed Juliana’s mind, but she quashed them as quickly as they arrived. She had to remember her place. 

Finally, about half way to the University, Valentina took a deep breath and spoke. 

“I want to thank you for all your help last night. I don’t know what could have happened if you hadn’t come to get me. So thank you, Juls.” 

Juliana squeezed the steering wheel tight with both hands. 

“It’s not a problem, miss. I’m here to help.”

“Yes, but you didn’t have to do all that. Take care of me. I appreciate it.”

Juliana nodded her head, refusing to make eye contact. She could feel the piercing blues boring in the side of her head, but she would lose all resolve if she turned and faced them. 

“I’m surprised you remember that.” Juliana replied in a weak attempt to lighten the mood. 

Valentina snorted once, some of the tension leaving her body. Juliana didn’t realize she was sitting forwards as Valentina fell more comfortably into the seat. 

“I know I was drunk, but I’ve somehow always been able to recall my memories of a big night.”

“So you remember everything?” Juliana asked skeptically. 

“Yes.” Valentina replied. She leaned forward then, her voice one octave lower. “Everything.” 

Juliana felt her mouth go dry and her face heat up at the admission. Flashes of a flirty Valentina, of a thumb on her lip, of Valentina’s hips lifting enticingly upwards, of red lacy underwear, of fingers pressing into skin, raced to the forefront of Juliana’s mind. 

As Juliana brain tried to formulate a response, Valentina pulled back and continued. “The most important thing I remember you telling me was that I didn’t do anything wrong. That I don’t have to be sorry for any of it.”

At those words, Juliana finally turned to look at Valentina. There was something different about her. A certain determination was set in the line of her jaw, a hardened look in her eyes. Juliana clenched her teeth and looked back at the road. She thought of her mother, of the suffering she was put through. If only she was strong enough to escape… could their lives have been different?

“I meant it. What he did –“ Juliana stopped and took a deep breath. She had to control her emotions here. She didn’t want to upset Valentina any more, or say something wrong. She licked her lips and thought about her words before she spoke. “What he did is emotional abuse, not to mention blackmail. Then he used that power over you and he hit you. No woman should ever have to succumb to that kind of behavior. You are a strong woman, a woman with thoughts and feelings and dreams and desires and aspirations. No man, or any other human being for that matter, should ever have the right to dictate any of them to you. You are your own person. You have to stand up for yourself. You have to own it.” 

The car was silent after Juliana’s rant. Juliana had to focus on controlling her breathing, unaware while she was speaking that she was beginning to spiral. She concentrated on the road, of the basic mechanics of driving, to help her recalibrate. Eventually, a warm hand covered her own on the steering wheel. Looking down, she saw her knuckles were white from gripping it so hard. She made the effort to relax, the soft touch of Valentina slowly soothing her. 

Juliana pulled up to a red light, taking another deep breath and relaxing her shoulders. 

“Juls.” Valentina’s voice was calm. 

“Yeah?” 

“Look at me.” 

Juliana slowly turned her head to focus on Valentina. She was once again transfixed, falling into clear blue. She felt instantly better. 

“I know. I’ve known it for a long time. I’ve just been so scared.” Valentina wrapped her fingers around Juliana’s and placed their intertwined hands between them. “But you’re right. It’s time I faced the consequences. I can’t continue living like this with Lucho. He just sucks the life out of me, and I’m so sick of it. I can’t stand him or my so called friends. It’s been eating me up, and I’ve just been letting them walk all over me. Even if it means bringing shame to myself and my family, I’ve got to be strong and move on.” 

Juliana’s eyes widened at Valentina’s words. The blue-eyed girl spoke with such vehemence, such passion, that she was slightly taken aback. She wasn’t expecting Valentina to stand up for herself like this. The girl sitting beside her now was a vast difference from the girl she helped out of the gutter last night.  
A slow smile spread across Juliana’s face as she let Valentina’s words sink in. She was pleased to see this fiery spark in the other girl, to see her own her problems and want to do something to fix it. 

“What are you going to do?” Juliana asked quietly.

Valentina reflected Juliana’s smile. “I’m breaking up with him. I’ve been thinking about it all morning, and it’s never felt so right. I’m going to see him right now and get it over with.”

Juliana’s initial relief over Valentina’s revelation was quickly washed away and replaced with an all-consuming dread. 

“You’re going to see him now?” Juliana quizzed, her brows furrowed. 

Valentina sensed the change in Juliana, her chin lifting in defense. 

“Yes. It’s something I need to do in person.”

“After what he did to you?” Juliana couldn’t help the desperation, the pleading in her voice. 

Valentina’s guard quickly dropped when Juliana spoke. She leaned in, her eyes calming.

“Juls, I know I’ve made mistakes but I’m not stupid. I’ve organized it in a public place. He’s going to meet me at the University gates. There will be people around. It’ll be okay.”

Juliana just stared at Valentina. She wanted to keep her out of harms way. Her brain was trying to think of another way she could do this without risking her personal safety. 

A loud car horn interrupted her train of thoughts. Juliana jumped slightly at the sound, her head swiveling back around to notice the light had gone green. The cars ahead of her were already in the distance.

“Shit.” She mumbled under her breath, pressing down a little too harshly on the accelerator. 

A quietness overtook the car once more, both girls processing the conversation in their own ways. Juliana was overwhelmed by how invested she was in this girls life, in ensuring she was safe and smiling. The previous week of not seeing her after the events of Guille’s birthday party, and then the emotional rollercoaster that was last night, meant her head was all over the place. 

Valentina’s shy voice broke the silence. 

“You can be there, if you’re worried.”

Juliana suppressed a nervous chuckle. She felt the tension slowly ease as she considered Valentina’s proposition. 

“I’ll stand back, but I’ll be there if you need me.” Juliana slowed the car to a stop, pulling over to the side of the road. She looked back at Valentina after shifting the car into park. “Is that okay?” She needed to make sure Valentina was really comfortable with her being present in such a private moment. She didn’t want to do anything that might make the girl uneasy.

“Of course it’s okay. I’ll actually feel better knowing you’re there.” Valentina was suddenly vibrating with nerves. Her knee bounced and her fingers twisted in her lap. Juliana looked out the window to see Lucho standing against one of the brick pillars of the University gates. His thumbs were hooked into the arm straps of his backpack as his eyes found the black SUV. To Juliana, he looked as arrogant and as ever. She was surprised at the sense of satisfaction she felt when her eyes lingered over the swollen cut on his lip. 

Juliana looked back at Valentina, her hand reaching out to slow the bounce of the girls knee. Her thumb rubbed back and forth against the warm skin there. 

“Hey.” Juliana tried to soothe the girl. 

That same look of determination Juliana witnessed earlier overtook Valentina’s features as she took in a deep breath. “I know.” Valentina breathed out. “Everything will be okay.”

Juliana smiled as Valentina repeated her words from last night back at her. 

“I’ll be right behind you. You’ve got this.” Juliana’s hand moved from her knee, her thumb gently brushing Valentina’s chin as she pulled away and opened her car door. She raced around to the passenger’s side, grasping Valentina’s hand as she helped her out of the vehicle. With one last look of solidarity between them and a squeeze of her knuckles, Valentina took off with Juliana not far behind. 

It took a minute for Juliana’s eyes to adjust to the bright light of day. She had never realized how well tinted glass shielded the eyes from the powerful UV rays, and had only come to appreciate it since driving for the Carvajal’s. She blinked rapidly, cursing herself for forgetting her sunglasses, as she walked confidently behind Valentina. 

Lucho straightened, his arms folding across his chest in a stance of superiority and indifference as Valentina approached him. For the first time that day, it occurred to Juliana that Lucho might recognize her from the night before. She slowed her steps slightly as she felt her heart rate pick up at the prospect. She figured that he was most likely too drunk to remember anything, hoping his brain wasn’t as switched on as Valentina’s. She would deal with it when it comes, if she had to.

Juliana could see Valentina’s hands clench into fists at her side, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if she was going to hit Lucho. Before she could figure out if she would encourage it, or pull Valentina away, the girl stopped abruptly in front of her. 

“Lucho.”

Juliana watched as Lucho rolled his eyes. “Yes, Valentina. Why did you want to meet me here now? We have class in 30 minutes and we always meet on the lawn.”

Juliana took a few steps back. As much as she wanted to listen to the conversation between the pair, she didn’t think she could passively stand by and listen to the lies Lucho would most likely feed Valentina. Just seeing his face again made Juliana want to hit it. He would barely have to provoke her for Juliana to lunge at him again. She stood a safe distance away and tried to casually observe, not wanting to seem too obvious. 

While Valentina was speaking, Juliana noticed Lucho’s eyes flick over her shoulder and land on her. She clicked her teeth as a flicker of recognition crossed Lucho’s features. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing as he continued to stare at Juliana. It was almost comical, as Juliana could visualize the cogs in his brain turning. She stood still, her shoulders square, ready to face whatever consequence may arise from her actions from last night. She flexed her fingers, the ache still prominent in her hand from where she connected with the side of Lucho’s face less than 12 hours prior. 

Valentina waved her arms in the air, breaking the staring contest between Lucho and Juliana. 

“Lucho, are you even listening to me?” Juliana heard Valentina scream in frustration as Lucho’s beady gaze settled back on the blue-eyed girl. 

Juliana blew out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She shook her head slightly, removing her gaze from the pair for a moment and turning to the side. For the first time since they arrived at the University, Juliana took the brief reprieve from the intensity of the situation to appreciate her surroundings. Young students walked around in groups, laughing and pushing one another. They were mostly well-dressed, with the occasional student looking a little worse for wear, assumingly struggling to pick themselves up from a big night. There were groups playing sports on the lawn, or basking in the warm afternoon sun. It was a Friday, and the buzz among the young people was almost tangible.

Juliana was snapped from her daydream by Valentina brushing past her. 

“C’mon, let’s go.” Valentina huffed, walking quickly back to the car. 

Juliana followed, but not before stealing a glance at Lucho. He stood, his phone in his hand, shaking his head menacingly in their direction. He pulled the phone up to his ear and turned on his heel, stomping away onto University grounds. 

Juliana had to jog to catch up to Valentina, her long legs and purposeful stride taking her quickly out of arms reach. 

“Miss? Miss!” Juliana called out after her. 

As Valentina reached the car, she spun around and faced Juliana. The corner of her lips were upturned, an exultant sparkle in her eye. 

“We’re not going back to that, are we?”

Juliana pulled the keys out of her jacket pocket. “Back to what?”

“Formalities. You called me Val last night.” Valentina quirked an eyebrow. “I liked that.” She added quietly.

Juliana grinned at the faint blush that crept up Valentina’s neck and across her cheeks at her admission.

“I don’t want to overstep any boundaries.”

Valentina rolled her eyes playfully. “Fine. How about you call me Val when it’s the two of us. If there is anyone else around, you can call me miss. If you must. How does that sound?” 

Juliana chewed on her lip while she considered the proposition. She watched Valentina’s gaze slip down to her mouth, her own lips parting slightly in response. She felt her palms begin to sweat as she watched the girl before her, her hair swaying gently in the mid-afternoon breeze, her eyes alight. She wanted to push it. She wanted to push the blue-eyed girl and see what she would do. But this was neither the time nor place for that. She wasn’t sure there ever would be. So, Juliana released the pinched flesh and soothed it with her tongue as she tried to push the memory of Valentina’s response to the same motion last night. 

“That sounds good, Val.” Juliana managed through a cheeky smile. She tried to pull herself back into the present. “How did that all go?” She asked, her thumb pointing over her shoulder, back towards where Lucho had been standing. 

Finally, Valentina seemed to snap out of her own thoughts. She clapped her hands in front of her and grinned. “I just did it. I just broke up with him.”

Juliana raised her eyebrows. “And? How did he take it?”

Valentina shrugged her shoulders somewhat. “He just said that I’d be crawling back to him in a couple of days and to remember what he has over me. I told him I didn’t care, he could do what he wants with the images, and that I was done with him.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about the images.” 

Valentina blinked a couple of times before scrunching her nose up playfully. “What do you mean?” 

Juliana realized quickly that Valentina had picked up on her meaning. She didn’t think she would be so perceptive, but the flicker of understanding that crossed Valentina’s features had Juliana’s eyes shifting. 

“No, nothing. I don’t mean anything.” Juliana shook her head to help redeem herself from her blunder. “I just don’t think you should worry about the photos.” 

Valentina stepped closer. Juliana was immediately disarmed by the girls perfume. So much so she found herself holding her breath again. 

“I noticed Lucho had a cut on his lip.” Valentina smirked. “Would you happen to know anything about that?” 

“Why? Did he say something?”

Valentina’s teeth began to show as her smile grew. “No. He didn’t say anything.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t know anything about that. Why would I know something about that?” Juliana scratched nervously at her own eyebrow as she spoke. She had never been a good liar, one more reason to hate lying. But she hoped Valentina didn’t see through her weak façade. 

Valentina giggled, her eyes lighting up as she linked her arm in Juliana’s. 

“C’mon. Let’s go get some food. I’m not going to class today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. This has been sitting in my documents for three days. Just sitting there, torturing me. I can't put my finger on it, but there is something about this chapter that I don't like, but for the life of me, I can't work out how to change it. So, i'm just biting the bullet and putting it out there.  
> Also, I just realized i've written SEVEN chapters and they haven't even kissed yet. I mean, i'm all for the slow burn, but it's getting a little ridiculous. I get so caught up in my own head I don't realize what i'm doing. So i'll endeavor to add the first kiss next chapter. It won't mess any plans up because I ain't got none! Ha!  
> I would LOVE to hear what you're thinking - it might numb the pain of putting a chapter I think is total shit out into the world.  
> Also, I have a Tumblr... but i'm ashamed to admit I have no idea how it works. Not. A. Clue. I'm just there to stalk Juliantina gifs... haha. If you wanna chat, i'm sure you'll be able to find me.


	8. Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An incident at the Carvajal residence shakes things up.

The week after Valentina’s break-up with Lucho, Juliana found herself inadvertently taking on the role as Valentina’s personal driver. She barely drove any other family member over the course of the week. Valentina would arrive at the garage promptly at midday every day with a bright smile and a happy greeting, wrapping Juliana up in a tight hug before bounding into the car with a flick of her hair. Juliana couldn’t help but feel completely consumed by Valentina’s presence. The warmth and excitability of the girl made it very easy for Juliana to become wholly captivated by her. The girl basically radiated sincerity and exuded confidence, the miserable Valentina she met mere weeks ago a distant memory. This woman was passionate and complex, and Juliana found herself wanting to know more. 

Valentina certainly took advantage of their newfound friendship and monopolized Juliana’s time. Juliana would drive Valentina to her classes at University (who would only let Valentina step on campus one the blue-eyed girl had promised to stay away from Lucho and to stay in public places). Once the girl had finished her classes, which Juliana found convenient that they always happened to take place in the afternoons, Juliana would escort Valentina to a coffee shop of her choosing. The first few times Juliana felt awkward joining Valentina for an afternoon coffee, feeling out of place and that perhaps she was crossing a professional boundary. But after much pleading, begging and reassurances from desperate blue eyes, Juliana succumbed to the scrunched up face of Valentina who would squeal with delight each time Juliana finally gave in. 

The coffee dates provided the perfect back drop for the girls to relax and get to know one another, without any watchful eyes or judgmental comments. 

“What do you want to do? You know, as a career?” Valentina asked once as she placed her mug back on the wooden table that wobbled between them. 

“What makes you think I don’t want to be a driver for the rest of my life?” Juliana asked with a smirk. 

Valentina rolled her eyes and sat forward in her seat. “C’mon. I can tell you have more ambition than that. There must be something else you want.”

Juliana chewed on the inside of her cheek as she considered Valentina’s words and her penetrating stare. She could never understand the depths to the crystal blue gazing at her, as if she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world, her attention direct and disarming. 

“I’m just trying to get by, at the moment. I have to help my ma with the bills. I can’t think much past that just yet.”

Valentina’s lips downturned slightly as she pushed her hand across the table to rest on top of Juliana’s. 

“You’re amazing, you know.” She spoke quietly, her words racing through Juliana like wildfire, before settling in her chest, the embers burning, comforting and welcomed.

Juliana shook her head modestly. “I’m not. I’m just a regular person getting through life. There’s nothing amazing about that.”

Valentina squeezed her hand and intertwined their fingers. Juliana watched their fingers interlace, mesmerized as Valentina’s thumb stroked her skin softly. Juliana had never been much of an affectionate person, but there was something so simple about the way Valentina sought out physical touch. Instead of shying away from it, Juliana found herself craving more. 

“That’s part of why you’re so amazing, Juls.”

On a few occasions, Juliana was forced to help Valentina shop. Not that she minded so much, a thrill shooting through her whenever Valentina would step out in a particularly revealing top, or a tight dress that hugged all the right places. It quickly became a conscious decision to keep her mouth from dropping to the floor, an otherwise simple action turned difficult to control as she took in the beauty before her. 

Juliana would sit on the lavish couches in brightly-lit dressing rooms of upmarket boutiques and provide Valentina with her critical appraisal of whichever outfit the long-legged girl had pulled off the rack without even looking at the price tag. The first time Juliana gave her honest opinion, Valentina halted suddenly mid flirty twirl, her mouth agape, before her face twisted into one of delight. 

“Finally! A true opinion from the mysterious Juliana!”

Juliana rolled her eyes as Valentina stepped off the platform she had been standing on. She wouldn’t admit that fashion was the field she dreamed to enter one day. She stood right in front of Juliana, looking down on her with a playful look on her face.

“So if you think this one flushes out my skin tone and the cut doesn’t fit, what would you suggest?”

“I think you look great in most things you try on, Val. This one is fine it’s just -”

“Stop complimenting me and tell me which item you liked the best.” Valentina interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

Juliana gulped as she gazed up at Valentina, long chestnut hair falling in front of her face, a faint blush noticeable behind the confident facade. 

“I liked the black one. It accentuated your curves in the right places and the neckline was...” Juliana cleared her throat, her words catching up with her. She looked down and started picking at her thumb nail. “good. The neckline was good.” 

A light laugh from Valentina brought her eye line back up to the older girl. “The black one it is, then.” 

Valentina winked before turning and sauntering back into the fitting room, her hips swaying a little more than usual. Juliana couldn’t take her eyes off her. 

~

One week after Valentina’s seemingly easy break-up with Lucho, there was a commotion outside of the gates of the Carvajal residence. It was 9pm and Juliana was in the small office attached to the garage, filling out her logbooks for the day. It was her final shift before her standard three days off, and she was trying to focus on completing the paperwork properly, but a certain blue-eyed girl continued to inflict chaos in her thoughts. What should have been a ten minute job was turning into a much longer one.

An urgent call came over the radio from Javier, jolting Juliana from her imagination.

“Juliana, can you please fetch Mr Carvajal and escort him to the front gates? Quickly, please. Urgently.”

Juliana picked up the receiver and confirmed she’d received the message, before slamming it down and striding quickly into the large house. 

She knocked on the wall that opened up into the large open-plan living area on the first floor of the mansion. Leon, Lucia, Guille and Valentina were all sat on the plush coffee-colored lounges, elegant glasses of red wines in hand. All four swiveled at the gentle noise, their conversation halting as Juliana requested their attention. 

“Good evening. I’m sorry to bother you all.”

Juliana tried to not look at Valentina, knowing how easily it was for her to be swept up in her own head when she took in the bright-blue shamelessly watching her. Juliana quickly discovered her resolve was slipping more and more with every day she spent with Valentina. Her eyes swept over all three family members before resting on Valentina. Her heart lurched as she took in the sweet smile adorning her face, her whole body moving to face Juliana. And she felt herself so enchanted when Valentina smiled at her, a feeling she couldn’t describe tightening in her gut each time they locked eyes. 

She felt her own lips begin to lift in response to the soft look she was receiving from Valentina, but managed to tear her eyes away and focus on the person she was here to see. Leon. 

“It’s not a problem, Juliana. How may we help you?” Leon’s warm gaze flicked from Valentina to Juliana as he spoke, a small quirk of his head not going unnoticed by Juliana.

“Javier is requesting your presence at the gate, sir.”

Leon raised his eyebrows and removed his arm from the back of the couch that was sitting behind Lucia. He lent forward and sat his glass on the coffee table with a clink, placing a quick kiss on Lucia’s temple before joining Juliana on the steps leading down into the lounge room. 

He held out his arm in the direction of the front door and smiled at Juliana. “You lead the way.” 

“Yes, sir.” Juliana replied with a slight bow of her head. It took all of her strength to not look for Valentina in the room again. Instead, she turned and walked out of the door and towards the large black gates, smoothing her jacket as they went. 

As they made their way down the stone pathway towards the gates, Leon caught up with her.

“Do you know what this is about?” His tone was low, but he seemed blasé, not too concerned with whatever awaited them beyond the wall. 

“No, sir. I just got the call on the radio and came to get you straight away.” 

“Right.” Leon said as he rubbed his hands together. It was a cooler night than usual. 

Juliana led Leon into the small office beside the wrought-iron gates and could immediately hear raised voices beyond the door. Glass cracked beneath her feet as she walked, the window beside the door broken. She pressed her security tag against the sensor and pushed at the wooden door, her eyes widening at the scene unfolding on the gravel driveway. Leon grumbled as he pressed past her, a hushed conversation occurring between Javier and himself. For Juliana’s part, she was completely frozen. She stood open-mouthed, her arm still holding the door open, as she watched Lucho stumble around on the loose ground, a non-descript bottle of alcohol in a vice-like grip in his left hand, his right waving around like a lunatic. It was clear he was inebriated, his legs unable to kept him steady, his hair disheveled, his eyes red and wild. 

The flood lights had been turned on, which served to illuminate the scene Lucho was currently making. It was as if he stood on a stage, a circle of security standing around him, watching him perform under the bright lights. 

Incomplete sentences flew out of Lucho’s mouth as his feet worked hard to keep him upright. 

Phrases such as “that fucking bitch” and “I know she had something to do with it” were some fragments of the puzzle Juliana was able to piece together. 

Her mind flicked back to Valentina’s warm smile as she sat on the sofa in the family’s living room only moments ago. She was thankful she was safe inside and wasn’t here to witness this drunken idiot shouting profanities about her. 

A range of pictures then crossed her mind as the boy took another full swig of whatever liquid was sloshing around in his bottle. 

A drunk Valentina in a gutter, a nasty cut marring her perfect face. A despondent Valentina, putting up with unwanted advances. A hopeless Valentina, teary-eyed and trying so hard to deal with her problems on her own. And then a drunken Lucho, drunkenly flirting with other girls, all over them like a leech. She felt sick. 

She wasn’t about to stand by and listen to Lucho spout this bullshit about Valentina when she was the victim here. She was about to fly out the door towards the boy, to do what, she doesn’t know. But a soft voice and a warm hand stop her. 

Her head snapped to the side and she observed a frightened Valentina, her trembling hand sliding against her own by her side. 

“What’s going on?” 

“Val, go back inside. Please.” Juliana made to let go of the door to keep Valentina in the office, but the girl stepped forwards, blocking the door. 

“What is Lucho doing here?” She whispered urgently. 

Valentina stood, her hand still grasped within Juliana’s, facing out to the driveway Lucho was currently stumbling around on. Juliana took a moment to watch her profile. The slope of her nose, the natural pucker of her upper lip, the crease of concern around her eyes. Even when scared, she was beautiful. 

Juliana squeezed her hand to get her attention.

“Val.”

“Valentina!” 

Lucho shouted her name at the same time as Juliana. He had spotted her. He took an unsteady step forwards.

“You stay right there. The police are on the way.” Javier spoke firmly as his hand rested on Lucho’s chest. Lucho shoved him away, but stood his ground. He wasn’t advancing. He just yelled across the space at Valentina. 

“What did you do, Vale?”

Juliana could feel Valentina’s palms begin to sweat. 

“What do you mean, Lucho?” Valentina’s voice trembled, but it was loud as it rang across the space. A show of not backing down, of not giving in. Not this time.

“The pictures, Vale. How did you do it?”

“What is he talking about, Valentina?” Leon stood to the left, his hands on his hips. 

“Nothing, papa. He’s drunk.” Valentina’s free hand shot out, pointing at Lucho. “He has no idea what he’s doing.” Her attention shifted back to Lucho. “Go home, Lucho. We’re over.” 

The sudden strength in her voice snapped Juliana out of her daze. 

“Valentina, get inside, please.” Juliana spoke with just enough volume for Valentina to hear her. 

“I know she was there. It was her, wasn’t it?” Lucho was now pointing at Juliana with the bottle in his hand. “She deleted them.”

Valentina’s head turned to face Juliana, her own expression questioning.

“She punched me. She split my lip!” The pitch of Lucho’s voice heightening as he threw accusations around. He continued to call out to the people encircling him as the two girls continued to stare at each other, an unspoken conversation through raised eyebrows and the slight nod of a head. 

“I was assaulted in my own house. Bitch knocked me out before invading my privacy and deleting content on my personal phone.” He continued to slur, his feet shuffling on the uneven ground, alcohol spilling out of the bottle as he threw his arms around.

As Juliana silently admitted to Lucho’s claim, Valentina’s eyes narrowed marginally, her eyes dropping to Juliana’s lips for a split second as she tilted her head to the side. The air left Juliana’s lungs as the most tender, adoring smile graced Valentina’s features.

The faint ringing of sirens in the distance brought Juliana’s attention back to the scene in front of her.

“I would have used those images, Valentina. And you knew it. So you got your little slave to do your dirty work for you. You fucking bitch!” 

Everything after that happened very quickly. 

Leon stepped forward and swiftly punched Lucho in the face, the pathetic boy’s body dropping heavily to the ground. Juliana’s limbs finally started responding at the sudden commotion of rushed feet, wild yelling and loud sirens. She turned and tugged Valentina quickly behind her, the door to outside banging closed behind them. Juliana directed them half-way up the stone garden path before she stopped and turned to the blue-eyed girl. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Why are you apologizing?” Valentina’s eyebrows were raised, her eyes frantic. She was shaking. 

“I shouldn’t have done it. I didn’t want to make things worse for you. I’m sorry. Now your papa is going to know. I’m going to lose my job.” Juliana’s hands flew up to her hair in a panic. “Ah, shit. I’m going to lose my job. What the fuck am I going to do now?” 

“Hey, hey.” Valentina’s hands grasped Juliana’s face. “Juls, stop rambling. It’s okay. I won’t let that happen.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Juliana spotted Javier and Leon speaking intensely as they appeared from the office. Juliana caught Leon’s eyes, before he turned back to speak to Javier. 

“No. No, it’s okay. I deserve to be fired over this. I overstepped. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, Juls. You don’t need to apologize. Calm down.” 

Juliana shut her eyes and listened to Valentina’s voice, soothing as she attempted to calm her. She focused on soft fingers grazing her cheeks.

“That’s it Juls, just breathe.” Valentina whispered, her breath hot on Juliana’s face. 

Juliana felt ridiculous that she was the one spiraling here, when Valentina should be the one falling apart. But here Valentina was, standing close, her scent invading Juliana’s brain. She squeezed her eyes shut even harder, focusing on her breath going in an out. Filling her lungs and then emptying them. Over and over again.

Eventually, her heart started to beat to a more regular rhythm, her breathing settling into slower inhales and exhales. 

“That’s better.” Valentina uttered softly. “You’re okay.”

Juliana slowly opened her eyes, concerned blue watching her intently.

“Did you see them?”

“See what?” Juliana quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected question.

“When you deleted them, did you look at them?” Valentina’s hands were trembling against Juliana’s skin. She was nervous. 

Juliana shook her head resolutely. “I never clicked into them. I just selected them all and pressed delete. I would never invade your privacy like that.” 

Valentina let out a huff of air and her shoulders visibly relaxed. 

“Thank you.” Valentina whispered, her eyes wet with unshed tears. 

Before Juliana could respond, Leon called Valentina over to him. Valentina gave Juliana a small smile and a brief hug, whispering that everything would be okay into her ear before letting go and walking towards her father. Juliana stood still and watched as Valentina walked off towards the house with her father. 

Javier approached her on the path. 

“Juliana. Please, come with me.” 

Juliana took in a deep breath and hung her head as she followed Javier into the office attached to the garage. Her things sat just as she left it on the large desk, undisrupted, as if nothing had happened. She slumped into the black office chair and looked up to Javier who hovered in the door way. 

“I’m sorry, Javier. I never meant to cause any trouble.” She had to say something. The silence was terrifying. 

Javier nodded his head once to indicate he heard what Juliana said, but he didn’t say a word. He wouldn’t even look at her. So Juliana continued to sit, twitching and fiddling with tension, while she waited. She didn’t know what she was waiting for, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good. It couldn’t be.

The clock hanging on the wall beside the door ticked away ominously, torturing Juliana as time continued to slowly pass by without any indication of her fate. Finally, she couldn’t help herself. 

“I’m going to get fired, anyway. What am I waiting for?”

Javier straightened as she spoke, turning to face out the door.

“Mr Carvajal.” Javier greeted their boss formally. 

“Javier. Thank you.” Leon said as he shook Javier’s hand. “I’ve got it from here.” 

Javier nodded his head once to his boss in understanding, offered Juliana a small smile and walked away, presumably back to the office by the front gate. 

The clicking of Javier’s shoes on the concrete faded as Leon pulled out another chair and positioned it opposite Juliana. He cleared his throat as he levelled his gaze at her. Without giving him a chance to speak, Juliana launched into an apology. 

“Juliana, stop, please.” He chuckled, his hands clasped in front of him as his elbows rested on his knees. His body language was non-threatening and Juliana felt her brows pulling together in confusion. 

“I’ve just come from speaking with Valentina. She’s given me her version of events. All I want to know is the truth. I got Valentina’s. I’m here now to get yours.”

Juliana grit her teeth together before speaking. She had no option other than being honest with the man in front of her, the man who gave her an opportunity and a job without so much as a recommendation from a friend. She owed him that much. 

So she started from the beginning, and told the man her truth, careful with her words around the issue surrounding Valentina. She didn’t know how much Valentina told her father about the content of the photos, but she admitted to everything. As she spoke, Leon sat quietly and listened, observing her with an intensity that instead of scaring her, encouraged her. When she finished, Leon pulled back into his chair with a smile on his face. 

“Well, Juliana. There is nothing more to say here other than thank you. You have done my family, and in particular my daughter, a great service. I am grateful that I have such a loyal individual in my employ.”

“Wait. So, you’re not firing me?” Juliana asked, shaken. 

Leon chuckled, his face crinkling in amusement. “How could I fire you, after you rescue my daughter from that disgusting excuse for a human being after he threated her with explicit images?”

“She told you?”

Leon quirked an eyebrow and nodded. “Valentina told me her truth.”

Juliana smiled. Valentina was brave enough to finally own her mistakes and work to overcome them. She was proud of her.

“Including how much you have been there for her lately.” He continued. “I don’t think she could have come through all of this, or had the courage to finally rid herself of that leech, without you. I haven’t seen her this happy for a long time, and I have a sneaking suspicion you are to thank for that.” 

Juliana was at a loss of what to say. So she responded the only way she knew how. “Thank you, sir.”

“I know you are an employee here, but Valentina really values your friendship. I hope this situation hasn’t frightened you too much. I will be placing Lucho on the non-permitted list and be following through with the police to ensure he stays away from you both. But I hope, more than anything, that you will stay on with us.” He moved forward then, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Valentina will kill me if you leave.” He said jestingly.

Juliana had no control over the laughter that left her throat, her body shaking with relief. Leon chuckled along with her, satisfied that her laughter was an agreement. When Juliana controlled herself and smiled at Leon, he stood and placed his chair back where he found it. 

“Thank you again, Juliana.” Leon said with a smile before leaving Juliana alone in the office. 

~

Juliana distracted herself with mindless chores on her days off. Lupe quizzed her sudden eagerness to help clean up around the apartment, but only received an exasperated _“you complain when I don’t help, and now you’re on my back about helping. Which do you want, ma?”_ from Juliana. 

She would sit in front of the television, a randomly selected movie flashing across the screen, but she couldn’t pay attention. On Saturday night, she even replied to George’s persistent questioning about when they were going to hang out again. Conveniently, George’s mother was out on Saturday evening with some friends, so Juliana took the opportunity to distract herself with the company of another. It barely worked. 

Valentina and the whole Lucho incident ran in loops in her brain, a never ending reel of blue eyes and drunken slurs, of cut lips and underlying tension. Juliana could not switch it off, no matter how hard she tried. She was confused by Leon’s words, Valentina’s actions, Lucho’s threats. Her whole being wanted to be near Valentina, to keep her safe, to hear her laugh, to hold her hand, to watch her squeal with delight. Juliana was long past denying her growing feelings towards the girl. 

She knew she was in trouble. In what world would a poor hitman’s daughter ever be good enough for whom the press dubbed as ‘Mexico’s princess’? And to make matters worse, Juliana was employed by the Carvajal’s. She was a hard worker, there was no doubt about that. But she had overstepped the professional line and involved herself in Valentina’s personal life. She was struggling to maintain the balance between befriending the beautiful woman, and doing her job professionally. She’d already had one close call. She couldn’t afford another. But how was she to keep a lid on her already significant romantic feelings towards Valentina AND follow an ethical code of conduct? Leon seemed to appreciate the interjection in Valentina’s problems, but what if there is a next time, and he doesn’t see it in such a positive light? Putting all that aside, how was she to navigate her growing feelings for the girl when she knew it couldn’t be reciprocated? No matter how much she mulled the scenario over, her thoughts continued to torment her, casting a shadow of self-doubt and negativity over her already anxious mind. 

“Why don’t you go down to the park and draw for a bit? It might help clear your head.” Lupe squeezed Juliana’s shoulder from her place behind the couch as Juliana sat, staring blankly at the television. 

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Juliana hadn’t left the apartment. She looked up to her mother’s concerned gaze and nodded her head. 

“That’s actually a nice idea, ma.”

Juliana got up and gathered her art supplies in a backpack. She told Lupe she’d be home later and made her way leisurely to her favorite park. Once she reached her favorite spot, she pulled out her sketchbook and graphite pencils and began to observe her surroundings. She breathed in the fresh air and listen to the collective laughter and chatter of the people around her. She felt better already. 

This part of the park was her favorite for a variety of reasons. There were multiple sources of inspiration. The large fountain spurting water in different directions, the families playing together, the lovers walking hand-in-hand, the beautiful trees and array of plants scattered around the place. 

Juliana immersed herself in the afternoon sun, getting lost in the world of the sketch she was creating. After a few minutes, a light **‘bing’** roused her from the pages, an outline quickly beginning to take shape. She stared at her phone for a few seconds, her heart in her throat, before unlocking it an opening the unread message from Valentina. 

**V:** _Hey. I’m sorry to bother you on your day off. I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re okay after everything that happened on Friday night._

Juliana re-read the text 5 times before formulating her own response. 

**J:** _Hi. No, it’s fine. You can text me whenever. Thanks for checking in, I’m fine._

Juliana barely had time to put her phone down when another **‘bing’** resounded from the device. 

**V:** _I’m really glad to hear it. What are you doing?_

Juliana smiled at the question. 

**J:** _I’m just enjoying the Sunday afternoon. I’m sitting in a park. Nothing very exciting._

**V:** _On your own?_

**J:** _Yes…_

**V:** _Which park?_

Juliana sent Valentina her location with raised eyebrows. She wasn’t sure why the girl was interested in where she was or what she was doing. 

**V:** _I’ll be there in 20!_

Juliana almost dropped her phone at the reply. She wasn’t expecting Valentina to come and see her. She glanced down at her attire. She was sporting an old pair of jeans, albeit well kept, and a plain red t-shirt. 

Valentina hadn’t seen her in anything other than her suit at work. The exception to that being the night Juliana picked her up, but she doubts Valentina would remember her jeans and sweater combo very clearly considering the amount of alcohol in her system. 

_“Fuck it.”_ Juliana muttered to herself and sent Valentina the thumbs up emoji in reply. She put her phone back in her bag and continued to draw. She couldn’t quite focus though, her eyes wandering around the park every minute, hoping to spot a certain long-legged, blue-eyed girl. Her lines became a little less accurate, a little shakier on the page. She was erasing lines more than she was successfully drawing them, small pieces of the eraser crumbling onto her page each time she attempted to remove a mistake.

“Hey.” A sweet voice interrupted her furious rubbing out. She lifted her head to spot Valentina standing before her. She was also wearing jeans, but paired with an elegant white top. Her hair was pinned by her temples in pearl colored clips, the long tendrils still loosely hanging over her shoulders and spilling onto the front of her shirt. She was breathtaking. 

“Hey.” Juliana breathed, her hands still on the page. 

“Can I join you?” Valentina motioned to the seat next to Juliana. 

Juliana cleared her throat and moved her backpack to the ground. “Yeah, of course.”

Juliana didn’t know why, but she was nervous. This was a completely different environment to which they would generally be together. Here, they were just two girls, sitting on a park bench on a Sunday afternoon. It felt oddly different, and Juliana wasn’t sure how to act without the security of their formal roles of driver and passenger. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I came to find you.” Valentina said as she settled on the seat. 

“No, of course not. I’m happy to see you.” Juliana replied as she held her sketchbook close to her chest. 

“You’re hair looks really nice out.” Valentina said as she lightly touched the ends of Juliana’s hair. 

Juliana smiled and thanked Valentina, looking away in order to hide the heat she could feel behind her cheeks.

“I brought you something.” Valentina spoke shyly, her eyes not quite meeting Juliana’s. 

Juliana raised her eyebrows. “You did? What for?” 

“Well, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Friday night. And I’m really sorry to put you through all of that. But I’m also so grateful for everything you’ve done for me.” Valentina flicked her hair over her right shoulder as she turned to face Juliana more fully. “You’ve really been there for me and I consider you much more than just an employee. You’ve become a friend, and I don’t want that to change. I wanted to tell you, in person, how much you mean to me.” 

“And you couldn’t wait to tell me this when I see you on Tuesday?” Juliana asked slowly, drawing out the question, unable to help the smile on her face. 

Valentina shrugged her shoulders bashfully, a giggle slipping from her lips. “To be honest, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I wanted to see you.” 

Juliana couldn’t help but stare at Valentina as she spoke the words into existence. Valentina stiffened slightly as she finished speaking, almost as if she hadn’t meant for the words to come out. Her eyes diverted Juliana’s and she squirmed in her seat, clearing her throat and sitting back. Juliana could see the light blush creeping up Valentina’s neck and face.

“I mean, I felt bad about Lucho being an asshole to you, the things he said. I wanted to apologize in person.” She said as her fingers played mindlessly with the ends of her own hair. She was backtracking. 

Juliana’s mouth was dry as she watched the girl uneasily fidget in front of her, unable to meet her own gaze. A nervous Valentina was a side of her Juliana hadn’t seen before. She had seen moody, despondent, helpless, desperate, energetic and confident, but never nervous. Juliana licked her lips in an attempt to will some saliva back into her mouth and swallowed before changing the topic for Valentina’s benefit. 

“You don’t need to apologize for him. But thank you for finding me and saying it.” Juliana said as she reached forwards and gently grasped one of Valentina’s hands still pulling at her own hair. She brought their interlocked hands between them, hoping the motion would calm Valentina. 

“But I’m still curious to know what you brought me.” Juliana said quietly as she leaned forward, her eyes searching for blue. 

She could see Valentina’s mouth turn into a smile before she finally turned to face her again. Her lips squeezed together playfully as she picked something up off the ground. A box of Froot Loops was handed to her, and she let go of Valentina’s hand to receive the gift. 

“It’s silly but I was hungry so I stopped on the way here to get them. I thought maybe we could sit and snack on these for the afternoon. What do you think?”

Juliana’s eyes were wide as she looked at the box. She hadn’t eaten Froot Loops since she finished the last box that Kellogg’s had sent her years ago, back in Texas. She looked back to Valentina and saw her eager face. Laughter bubbled up from her chest at the token gift and the thoughtfulness behind it. Valentina had remembered the story she told her weeks ago, and had gone to the trouble of bringing these to her, on a Sunday afternoon, when she most likely had plenty of other things to be doing. 

“That sounds great, Val. Thank you.” She managed, Valentina’s sweet laugh joining her own.

She cracked open the box and pulled at the plastic sealing the Froot Loops safely inside. She offered the box to Valentina first, who took a generous handful of the sugary cereal. She placed one loop into her mouth and chewed delicately. 

“What are you doing? That’s not how you eat Froot Loops!” Juliana giggled. 

She reached into the bag, taking her own handful. 

“What do you mean? There’s a specific way to eat this?” Valentina seemed utterly amused. 

Juliana raised one eyebrow at Valentina as she placed the box gently on the ground at her feet.

“There’s no delicacy in this. You just shove them in. It’s the only way.” And with that, Juliana shoved half of her heaped handful into her mouth, her cheeks bulging with the amount of food she managed to squeeze in.

“Oh my god, no wonder your mouth hurts. That’s disgusting!” Valentina giggled, shoving playfully at Juliana’s shoulder. 

“It’s the only way.” Juliana puffed out around the cereal, the words barely making sense as her lips struggled to pronounce the words.

Without missing a beat, Valentina narrowed her eyes at Juliana and then copied her, her hand empty as she removed it from her mouth, her cheeks equally as full. 

Juliana’s eyes went wide at the alarmed expression on Valentina’s face, before throwing her head back and trying to not choke on the Froot Loops as laughter wracked her whole body. She shut her eyes as tears escaped down her cheeks, attempting to chew the cereal in her mouth and swallowing, all the while watching Valentina struggle through her own laughter. 

“Why would you eat them like that? That’s a terrible idea!” Valentina finally said through stuttered coughs, trying to catch her breath after swallowing the mouthful of cereal.

“Your face was so adorable. It’s not so bad when you don’t have to laugh!” Juliana replied.

Valentina wiped at her face, a spark lighting behind her eyes. 

“You think I’m adorable, hey?” Valentina asked with a smirk. 

Juliana hadn’t noticed they’d moved closer to one another through their laughing fits. Valentina’s leg brushed against her own as she faced Juliana. 

Juliana rolled her eyes, teasing the girl straight back. “As if you don’t already know you’re adorable.” 

Valentina dropped her chin and quirked an eyebrow. “Well, maybe. But I like it when you say it.” 

The nervous Valentina from before had vanished, and confident Valentina was back. She was pushing Juliana, and she knew it. Valentina licked her lips and Juliana’s eyes automatically flicked down to watch the action. Juliana felt her palms go clammy as she was pulled into Valentina’s orbit. Not that she was complaining, the girl was mesmerizing. She would happily follow Valentina wherever she went, do whatever she asked. But for now, she was frozen in place, glued to the spot, as Valentina’s steady gaze rendered her useless. 

Before Juliana could speak, or move, Valentina broke away, and Juliana’s lungs pulled in oxygen, as if they had been deprived of the vital substance when Valentina looked at her _like that._

Juliana watched Valentina’s throat bob as she swallowed, and cleared her throat, before gesturing to the sketchbook in Juliana’s lap. Juliana had let it fall into her lap when she was under Valentina’s spell. With Valentina’s pointing, her attention was finally pulled back to it. 

“What’s this?” Valentina asked, her voice lilting. 

Juliana finally moved, her brain slowly catching up. She shifted in her seat and looked at the sketch she started since arriving at the park. It wasn’t very good. 

“It’s my sketchpad.” Juliana’s voice was scratchy so she cleared her throat again. “I draw, sometimes. It’s just a hobby, something to keep my mind off things.”

“What things?” 

Juliana looked back up at the girl. She wanted to say it. She wanted to say _“Recently, you. To keep my mind from thinking about you over and over and over.”_ But she didn’t. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders. “Just, life, I guess.”

Valentina gave her a lopsided smile and shuffled closer. She pulled Juliana’s hand into her lap and weaved their fingers together. And being together like this, it felt easy, as natural as breathing. 

“Can I have a look? Please?”

And the way Valentina looked at her, Juliana knew she could never say no. So she sighed and thanked whatever higher power was listening that she hadn’t brought the sketch pad filled with images of the girl tucked in close beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I'm sorry! I know i promised a kiss but I just couldn't fit it in here. I got carried away with the rest of the chap and found myself 6000 words deep without a kiss. I'll work on it for next time!  
> And I am humblewats on Tumblr just to make things tricky. Again... I don't do much on there but you're welcome to come say hey!


	9. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliana drives Valentina and Guille to dinner. Valentina visits Juliana in the garage after dinner.

“Hey, that’s not fair! Stop cheating.” Valentina squealed.

Guille laughed at Valentina’s dramatics. “I’m not cheating. Just because you’re weak doesn’t mean I’m cheating.” 

Juliana smiled to herself as she watched the siblings play thumb wars in the back seat. She was driving them to a family dinner across town. Guille had questioned Valentina’s age when she suggested they play the game, but he was easily persuaded to engage in the childish activity. They hadn’t stopped bickering and laughing ever since they started. Understandably, Valentina had elected to sit in the back this evening with her brother instead of her usual place beside Juliana. 

The past few days had gone along quite smoothly for Juliana. Her guilt about Valentina and her meddling with Lucho dissipated once Valentina reassured her the intrusion was a welcomed one. She had enjoyed their afternoon in the park immensely. Valentina gushed over Juliana’s artworks, all while Juliana deflected each compliment sent her way. They talked and laughed, shared stories and dreams, their hands somehow always gravitating towards one another. A brush of hair across a shoulder, a playful poke of an arm, a gentle grasp of a knee, a warm palm against another. It felt so normal to be so physically close to Valentina. 

Juliana let herself indulge in the presence of the blue-eyed girl. She allowed herself to feel the increase in heart rate, the hitch of breath, the tingle of skin, the feelings bubbling away under the surface. Her growing attachment to Valentina continued to surprise Juliana, but instead of shying away from it, she let it happen. She embraced the small smiles, the flirty jokes, the sneaky side glances. She let that fire in her belly settle into her bones, let it spread through her body, unsure where it may lead her, but willing to let it burn. 

Her days at work continued to include Valentina dominating her services as she drove the girl all around the city. Juliana was beginning to think Valentina was making up places she had to go to just so she could spend time with Juliana. She wasn’t about to question it, happy to spend her days wrapped up in the affection and excitement Valentina so easily provided.

“Why aren’t you going with Renata? Is everything okay?” Valentina’s probing pulled Juliana out of her own mind. 

Guille smiled widely at Valentina. “Look at my little sister, concerned for me.” He replied, playfully poking Valentina’s shoulder. “Everything is fine. She just had to work late and couldn’t make it.”

“It’s nice to see you so happy.” Valentina took Guille’s hand in her own. 

“It’s nice feeling so happy for a change.” Guille said, his smile unmistakable. He took in a deep breath and leaned back in his seat. “And what about you, hermanita? I’ve noticed you’ve been different ever since you ended the whole Lucho thing.” 

Juliana had to really focus hard on keeping her eyes on the road and not looking in the rear-view mirror to catch Valentina’s eyes. 

Valentina let out a nervous giggle. “I’m just glad to be rid of him.”

“I can’t believe it took you so long. He was such a dick.”

“And it’s taken you until I’ve ended it with him for you to tell me that?” Valentina scoffed.

“It wasn’t my relationship, who was I to judge?” 

He clearly didn’t know the details about why the relationship ended. Juliana shifted uncomfortably in her seat and she could sense the unease from Valentina without even looking at her.

“But tell me, what’s got you so chirpy lately?” Guille was trying to placate Valentina, attempting to change the subject. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Juliana could hear the smile in Valentina’s voice. She bit her lip to suppress her own. 

“Yes you do! You’ve been singing obnoxiously around the house again, dancing with Chivis any chance you get. And you haven’t been able to wipe that cheeky little smile off your face for weeks.” 

Juliana chanced a quick look in the mirror. Guille had Valentina by the chin, a smirk gracing his beard-clad face. Valentina was still, her face twisted as if she was trying to not smile. 

“See. That silly smile right there.” Guille chuckled. “Are you seeing someone?” He asked mischievously.

Juliana’s head tilted slightly to the side so she could hear Valentina’s response. She slowed to a stop behind some traffic at a red light and listened intently for Valentina’s voice. 

“No, I’m not seeing anyone.” She replied with a wave of her hand, her voice lilting.

“I don’t believe you, Vale. You’re too easy to read. There’s something going on. I know you.” Guille continued to prod Valentina for a response. 

“You clearly don’t know me, because I’m telling you the truth. I’m not seeing anyone.” Valentina laughed, the carefree sound reverberating around the small space in the car. 

Juliana could hear Guille click his teeth together in thought. 

“I’m serious!” Valentina was still laughing at her brothers’ reluctance to believe her. 

After Valentina’s giggles settled, he spoke again. 

“But you like someone.”

Those words sent a thrill through Juliana’s veins. She felt her stomach flutter, her breath stick in her throat. She had rationalized with herself over the past week that Valentina surely couldn’t reciprocate the feelings that Juliana harbored for the blue-eyed girl. She didn’t know why her heart leapt into her throat when she imagined that maybe, possibly, Valentina might have feelings for her in return. She tried not to think about it too much, unwilling to let her mind get in too deep. 

Juliana’s eyes moved up to the rear-view mirror and was surprised to find bright blue looking back at her. It was just a moment, but the softness in her expression and the earnestness in her eyes had Julian’s heart skip a beat, before she turned away and faced her brother again. 

Valentina opened her mouth to speak but before any sound came out, shrill tune interrupted the moment. 

“Jesus.” Guille muttered as he fumbled in his suit pant to pull out his phone. 

“Could you have picked a more annoying ring tone?” Valentina asked sarcastically before shifting in her seat and facing forwards as Guille answered the call. 

Juliana moved forward with the traffic, her eyes searching for Valentina’s. But the blue-eyed girl refused to look up, her eyes now trained on something outside the window. 

“Sorry, Juliana. Do you mind turning left at the next set of lights? We just need to pick up our Uncle.”

“Of course.” Juliana responded, changing lanes and following the directions from Guille. 

A wide smile broke across her face as she spotted the man waiting for them, standing on the curb. 

“Juliana!” Camillo exclaimed as he clambered into the passenger seat beside Juliana.

“Camillo!” Juliana lurched forward and wrapped her arms around the man, folding him into an awkward hug. She didn’t know why it felt so good to see him again. 

“It feels like it’s been forever since I last saw you. How are you?” Camillo asked as he clicked his seatbelt in. 

“Well, it has been a while.” Juliana commented as she pulled away and continued on with their journey. “And I’m great, Camillo. How are you?”

Camillo opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the clearing of a throat. He turned in his seat and looked behind him. 

“Guille, Valentina. It’s so nice to see you both. How are you?” He said with a smile, only just acknowledging their presence. 

Juliana could see Valentina’s chin lifting up, the way she usually did right before she was about to ask a question. 

“Do you know Juliana?” Valentina asked curiously.

Camillo chuckled. “I do. I actually recommended her for the job.” 

“I didn’t know you were their uncle, Camillo.” Juliana said, drawing his attention back to her. 

He placed his hands in his lap as he turned to face the driver. “Well, technically I’m not. I’ve just been around forever and somewhere down the line, they started to call me their uncle. I guess it just stuck.”

Juliana nodded, taking in the information. 

Camillo leant in and spoke quietly. “So tell me, how is everything going with the Carvajals?” 

Juliana chuckled at his tone. “It’s really great, Camillo. Thank you again. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

Camillo waved her away. “I was happy to do it.”

Juliana looked up to see Guille absorbed in his phone, and Valentina watching them closely. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but she didn’t look angry, she looked genuinely curious. Juliana could tell she was doing her best to listen in to the conversation. 

“How is the fashion thing coming along?”

Juliana shook her head. “I haven’t really thought about it. It’s not on the top of my priority list at the moment.”

“Well, don’t let your work get in the way of your dreams, my girl. You’ll have to find time for it at some point. Don’t let it stray too far.” Camillo’s eyebrows were raised as he considered Juliana seriously. 

She smiled at him, appreciative of his thoughts and concerns. “Of course, Camillo.”

After ten more minutes of polite conversation and Juliana getting through the thick Mexico City traffic, she finally pulled over in front of a brightly lit restaurant. 

“Thank God, I’m starving.” Guille said as he unclipped his seatbelt and opened his door.

“Have a nice dinner. I’ll be here when you’re ready to go.” Juliana said to no-one in particular as she put the car in park. 

Camillo and Guille thanked Juliana and exited the vehicle without another thought. Valentina lingered, leaning forward and sticking her head in the space between the headrests of the two front seats. 

Juliana turned to look at her. Valentina was chewing on her lip and her eyes were narrowed. 

Juliana laughed through her nose at the girl’s mock seriousness. “What’s up, Val? What’s with the face?”

Valentina deepened her frown, but couldn’t help the small smirk fighting its way onto her face. 

“You’ve never mentioned anything about fashion to me before.” 

Juliana shrugged. “It never came up before. And it’s no big deal.”

Valentina shook her head slightly at Juliana. The motion caused a curtain of hair to fall across her face. Without a thought, Juliana reached up and tucked it gently behind Valentina’s ear. She watched as Valentina’s mouth fell open slightly at the bold move. 

“I’ll tell you about it later, if you like. Promise.” Juliana said quietly. 

After a moment, Valentina placed her thumb and forefinger on Juliana’s chin and squeezed gently. “You better.” She whispered before scooting back and flashing Juliana a sweet smile before disappearing out of the car.

Juliana closed her eyes and tilted her head back, resting on the seat. What was she getting herself into?

~

Friday night was another busy night for the Carvajal household. They were hosting a relatively low-key dinner party for Lucia’s birthday. Juliana was once more required to chauffeur guests to and from the mansion. 

By 11pm, most guests had been taken home. Alejandro was arriving at 11:30 to take over from Juliana and would be in charge of driving any late-night guests requiring a lift. Javier ordered Juliana to begin her end-of-night routine, which included completing log books and cleaning out the vehicles. 

Juliana found herself alone in the large garage, wiping down the interior of the large black SUV she had been driving all day when she heard the familiar click of heels approach her. She looked out to find Valentina walking slowly towards her, a bright smile on her face. She threw the cloth she was using onto the leather seat and climbed out of the back of the car. 

When she stood and looked at Valentina properly, the breath was knocked out of her lungs.

Valentina was wearing a sleek, slim-fitting, black sequined dress that shimmered in the light as she moved. Thin straps disappeared over her shoulders and the simple V neck exposed just enough skin to show a bit of cleavage. The thigh-high split on one side of the dress ensured Valentina’s long legs were also on show. A black strappy heel was the culprit of the click-click on the concrete. Valentina’s chestnut hair had a slight curl, bouncing as she walked. It had been pinned up on one side of her head and was falling gracefully across her right shoulder. She wore elegant pearl drop earrings that matched her hair-clip. 

Suddenly, Valentina was in front of her and Juliana couldn’t find any words. She felt completely ridiculous, standing in front of this absolutely breathtaking woman, opening and closing her mouth like a fish, as her brain malfunctioned. 

“You like what you see?” Valentina smirked and moved her torso side to side to enhance the sparkle of her dress.

Juliana swallowed whatever saliva she could muster and cleared her throat. “Wow, Val. You look…” she took in a deep breath as she let her eyes roam over Valentina’s body once more. “amazing. You look amazing.” 

Valentina giggled and licked her lips. “Do you want to see the back?” 

“Uh huh, sure.” Juliana nodded. 

Valentina quirked one eyebrow and turned, slowly, her eyes leaving Juliana’s at the last moment. Juliana’s eyes widened as she observed the shimmery material meeting in a deep V, the backless dress showing off every inch of skin on Valentina’s back. The only material covering the expanse of milky skin was the occasional spaghetti strap holding the garment in place. 

“What do you think, Miss Fashionista?” Valentina teased as she resumed her original position facing Juliana. 

Juliana wrinkled her nose at Valentina’s jab. In the days that had passed since Camillo had mentioned Juliana’s dream of entering the fashion industry, Valentina hadn’t stopped quizzing her about it. 

“It’s a very nice dress, Val.”

“Is that it? Very nice?” Valentina queried as she tilted the champagne glass Juliana hadn’t noticed was in her hand, up to her lips. 

Juliana watched as Valentina took a small sip of the bubbly liquid before placing it down on top of a tool box sitting askew on a bench beside her. 

Valentina noticed Juliana’s eye line following the glass and took a step forwards. “You’d be proud of me. This is only my second drink of the night. I’ve been behaving.” 

“That’s good to hear, Val.” Juliana laughed, leaning her body back against the side of the car she had just been cleaning. “Why are you in here and not out there enjoying the evening?”

Valentina quirked her head and took another step forward, her fingers fiddling with a ring on one of her fingers. She was close enough now that Juliana could smell the girls perfume, floral and intoxicating. 

“Most people have gone home and I wanted to see you before you go.”

“I’m just cleaning up in here. It’s not very exciting.” Juliana said as tilted her head in the direction of the car she had just been cleaning.

After a moment, the garage went quiet. It felt like the temperature changed, like there was a shift in pressure in the atmosphere. Juliana felt goosebumps ripple across her skin. Both girls were still as they stood before one another, an intensity building between them.

“How long do you think I’m going to have to wait?” Valentina asked suddenly before biting the inside of her cheek. Her gaze was focused on Juliana, her eyelashes fluttering, highlighting the glitter sparkling around her eyes. 

Juliana raised her chin slightly, her skin prickling under the force of Valentina’s look. “Wait for what?” 

Valentina took the last step forward, their toes almost touching. 

“I think you know what for.” She whispered. 

Juliana’s mouth dropped open in response to the flirtatious Valentina before her, blue eyes moving down to her lips. Juliana had to blink a couple of times before she registered what was going on. She focused her energy on standing steady on her feet, shifting away from the vehicle so she was standing straight, their bodies even closer. 

“I’ve told you before that I notice the way you look at me.” Valentina stated tenderly as her fingers found Juliana’s, intertwining them. 

“And how’s that?” Juliana breathed, her stare shifting between Valentina’s piercing blue eyes and full pink lips. Her breathing was becoming uneven as the sexual tension between them crackled like lightening in a storm. It was as if the air around them was electric. She would bet that with just one careless flick of a match, the whole place would blow up. 

“You look at me as if you have a secret to tell, and I’m the only one you want to tell it to.” Valentina murmured as her fingers let go of Juliana’s and began a slow path up her arm, kneading into the skin delicately. 

Juliana huffed out a breath and slowly moistened her lips with her tongue. The movement was done subconsciously, as a way for Juliana to take a moment and let Valentina’s words sink in, but Juliana saw Valentina’s eyes darken as they watched Juliana’s mouth with an intensity she hadn’t witnessed before. 

Valentina’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, her fingers reaching Juliana’s shoulder, moving torturously slow towards the nape of Juliana’s neck. 

“You look at me as if I’m not alone in this. As if you feel it too.” Valentina continued, her voice low. 

Juliana didn’t know where she was anymore. All she could think about was the charming, alluring woman standing enticingly close to her. With Valentina’s words, she let herself imagine what it might feel like if Valentina’s lips pressed against her own. She almost passed out from the image alone, her heart thumping in her chest. It felt like it might just beat out of her chest, fluttering as quickly as hummingbird wings.

Gathering all of her courage, she inched closer to Valentina. Her hands slowly moved from her sides to clutch gently onto Valentina’s waist, the sequins scratching against her palms. Valentina’s eyes fluttered shut with the touch, a pink tinge lightening up her skin. 

Juliana could feel the adrenaline rush through her veins, that indescribable feeling stirring in her gut began rising into her chest as she pushed ever so slowly towards the blue-eyed girl. She could feel Valentina’s fingers press into the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She felt her lungs falter, her breath caught in her throat. She could hear the shaky breaths coming from Valentina as their noses brushed together. 

Juliana wanted to enjoy the anticipation, prolong that special moment of suspense right before they met. She wanted to savor this sensation, the inexplicable feeling of wanting and desire right before she finally connected with Valentina. She stopped, her lips inches away from Valentina’s, and breathed her in, the tension thick between them. 

“Juls.” The desperate voice cutting right through her, pleading with her. 

That feeling of fear, of uncertainty of whether Valentina wanted this as well, splintered when Juliana heard her name uttered from Valentina’s lips like that. She took the leap of faith, and it felt like gravity pulling them together as she closed the distance between them. 

Valentina’s bottom lip fit perfectly between her own. Juliana’s eyes scrunched closed tighter as they carefully treasured their first kiss, their lips soon moving again. It was slow and tender, delicate and hopeful, as Juliana’s mouth moved against Valentina’s passionately. Her fingers flexed into the flesh at Valentina’s hips, pulling the blue-eyed girl even closer. Valentina’s fingers moved into Juliana’s hair, massaging rhythmically against the base of her skull. 

Juliana was lost in the sensation of Valentina’s soft lips against her own. She had never felt that kind of weightlessness before, as if all her worries had been taken off her shoulders, and she could finally breathe properly. She felt like if someone poked her, she might just fall over from the lightness of it. 

Both girls pulled away from one another at the same time, as though an unspoken agreement had passed between them. Juliana opened her eyes slowly to find Valentina breathing heavily in front of her. Her mouth was open, her lips plump and wet from their kisses. 

“Finally.” Valentina whispered through a coy smile. 

And it did something to Juliana, that confession, that playful smirk on her face, as if she finally got what she wanted. She was tormenting her, watching her as if she had been waiting for eternity for Juliana to kiss her. She was lit up like a kid on Christmas and it flicked something inside of Juliana.

With a sharp intake of breath, Juliana swiftly turned Valentina and pinned her against the car. A surprised squeak came out of Valentina’s mouth as the breath was knocked from her. Juliana’s body pressed hard against her, effectively trapping her between the cold steel of the car and the warmth of Juliana’s body. But the glint in Valentina’s eye told Juliana she didn’t mind it, that maybe it’s exactly what she wanted. 

“How long have you known?” Juliana whispered, her stuttered breath hitting Valentina’s lips. 

They were so close that Juliana had to close her eyes. She focused on her other senses, on her hearing and touch. With Valentina so near, her control was slipping. She was teetering close to the edge and she wasn’t sure what might happen if the rocks crumbled underneath her feet and she fell headfirst down the cliff. But for the first time in her life, she wanted to find out. 

She had an overwhelming urge to rip the dress from Valentina’s body and consume her, possess her, to press her lips against every inch of exposed skin. 

“I’ve wanted this for a while now.” Valentina purred, both hands now grabbing at Juliana’s neck. “You’re just so –“ Valentina moved slightly and leaned in to press a kiss below Juliana’s ear. She shuddered as Valentina’s warm breath tickled her ear. “So enchanting. I haven’t been able to get you off my mind.” 

Juliana couldn’t control the growl that rumbled in her throat as her body reacted to Valentina’s words. She pushed her hips further against Valentina and felt the taller girls fingers press into her hair as their lips hovered millimeters away from one another. 

“You’re beautiful.” Was all Juliana could manage before her lips found Valentina’s for the second time. 

This time, as their lips moved together, it was evident the hesitancy had disappeared. A quick swipe of Juliana’s tongue on Valentina’s lips earned her a small moan, and Valentina’s mouth opened with the next movement. As their tongues collided, both girls squirmed at the sensation, their bodies moving against one another. The kiss quickly became desperate, their hands pulling at pushing at whatever they could find. 

Juliana could feel the rush of desire between her legs as her hands found the split in Valentina’s dress. She pushed at it, riding it further up the smooth skin so it bunched at her hip. Her thumb pressed into the soft skin below her hip bone before skimming under the edge of Valentina’s underwear.

She felt like she might not be able to stop herself, but she also knew she didn’t want to. She couldn’t persuade herself to push through the haze of Valentina. She was enjoying this too much to stop now.

Instead, she ripped her mouth away from Valentina’s and latched onto her jaw, pressing wet kisses down the warm skin of her neck. Her teeth scraped against Valentina’s pulse point as her thumb continued running circles below Valentina’s hip. 

Valentina moaned softly as her leg lifted and hooked around Juliana, pulling their bodies even closer. How it was possible, Juliana wasn’t sure, but she relished in the contact, their frames fitting together perfectly.

“Oh, God.” Valentina whined as Juliana kissed the delicate skin on Valentina’s collarbone. Her perfume there was strong and Juliana bit into the skin without caution, utterly overcome by need.

_“Fuck.”_ Valentina hissed, her hands pulling at Juliana’s face to reconnect their lips. “You’re making me so _wet_.” She breathed out between kisses. 

Juliana’s tongue pushed back at Valentina, their bodies beginning to move with earnest against one another. Her head was swimming with how turned on she was, at how Valentina’s own body was responding. It felt like she was in a dream. But this time, she hoped like hell she wouldn’t be woken up. She wanted this feeling to be real life, to hold onto it for as long as possible. 

A slamming door pulled Juliana back to the present moment. She pulled her lips off Valentina’s and whipped her head towards the direction of the sound. Above the panting of Valentina, the faint click of shoes on the vast garage floor could only just be heard. 

As if she had been shocked by an electric fence, Juliana jumped away from Valentina. 

She knew she probably looked a sight. Her eyes widened at Valentina, before she shook her head and took in her surroundings. She was at work. She couldn’t be found grinding up on the youngest Carvajal, against the car she drives Valentina around in nonetheless. 

Valentina was only just standing, her body still leaning heavily against the SUV. Her dress was hooked high over her thigh, her eyes dark and lips puffed. 

Jesus, how was she going to explain this if they got caught?

Valentina straightened suddenly. Juliana assumed she had also heard the approaching feet, and seen the frantic look in Juliana’s eyes. 

She pushed at her dress so it was back in place and stepped towards Juliana. Without speaking, she grasped Juliana’s hand and walked quickly towards the door she had come in through. Juliana could do nothing but trail along behind Valentina. 

With everything going on, Juliana took a moment to appreciate how fast the girl could walk in heels. 

As they burst through the door and into the cool night air, Juliana gulped in the fresh oxygen. The bubble of desire she had been wrapped up in with Valentina had been left behind in that garage. She continued to be pulled along by Valentina as she tried to unscramble her thoughts. How could she be so stupid, behaving like this at her place of work? Leon had already trusted her with his daughter, and she was thankful he didn’t fire her the last time she involved herself in Valentina’s life. And now, here she was, after the most intense make-out session she had ever had the pleasure of being involved in, she was shaken and completely enraptured by the girl. 

As they made their way closer to the house, Juliana finally got her senses back. She pulled at Valentina’s hand, tugging her so she’d stop. 

“Are you okay?” Valentina asked as she turned half her body to look at her.

“Where are we going?” 

“Inside. C’mon.” Valentina tried to move again but Juliana kept her feet steady, unmoving. 

“Why?” 

“We’re going to my room, okay? Let’s go.” Valentina said with a tilt of her head in the direction of the house. 

“I can’t Val. I’m at work.” Juliana replied simply, her breath finally returning to normal. 

Valentina straightened and faced her fully. 

“Juls.” Juliana felt her face being cupped in Valentina’s hands. “Please come inside with me.” 

Juliana furrowed her brow. She knew what would happen if she followed Valentina inside right now. She couldn’t risk it. She was still working. 

“Val. As much as I’d love to follow you right now, I can’t. I’m at work.” 

Valentina twitched her jaw, watching Juliana closely. “They won’t mind.” 

Juliana took a breath and stepped back, just out of Valentina’s reach. “But I mind. This is my job and I don’t want to lose it.” 

Valentina’s face fell slightly as she heard Juliana’s words. “Fuck, okay. I’m -“

“What’s going on here with you two?” Guille interrupted as he slowly walked down the steps from the back of the house. 

Juliana quickly adjusted her jacket and pushed at her hair, hoping she didn’t look too disheveled. 

“Nothing, Guille. Go back inside.” Valentina spoke quickly, her eyes finding Juliana’s again. 

“No, it’s fine. I’ve got to get back to work anyway.” Juliana stammered. 

She looked up to Guille, his expression inquisitive as his eyes bounced between the two girls. 

“Sir.” She said and nodded her head towards him. She turned back to face Valentina. 

Her brows were creased and her eyes pleading silently for her to stay. She didn’t want to make this worse, or things awkward between them, but she couldn’t stay. Especially now Guille was here, watching them. It was best if she left.

“Miss.” She muttered, inclining her head towards the blue-eyed girl before she turned and walked quickly back towards the garage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! I did it!  
> I hope i've done the kiss scene justice. Next chapter should be interesting...  
> Let me know what you think and if there are any mistakes, feel free to tell me!


	10. Energy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls have a little chat...

Juliana arrived promptly to work the following day in the hopes of seeing Valentina and clearing the air between them. They had parted suddenly due to Guille’s interruption, and it didn’t sit right with Juliana. She wanted to talk to the blue-eyed girl, to get some clarification on what was going on between them. 

She hadn’t been able to get the kiss out of her head. It kept replaying through her head, continuous like a needle scratching across a vinyl record on an old turntable. But instead of lifting the needle when the song ended, it kept spinning and spinning, looping around in Juliana’s mind. She felt dizzy each time she remembered the press of soft lips against her own. She could still feel Valentina’s soft skin beneath her lips and under her fingers. She could still smell the strong perfume radiating off Valentina’s collarbone as she bit into the tantalizing flesh. She could still hear the small moans and gasps spilling from Valentina’s lips as she pushed against her. Her mind was swimming with images of Valentina, hair disheveled and chest heaving. But the thing she remembered the most was Valentina’s downtrodden expression as she left that night. 

The last thing she wanted was to offend the girl, or give her the wrong impression. She wasn’t afraid of her feelings, now that she’d let herself feel what her body had been telling her for weeks. What she was afraid of was mixing business with pleasure. She didn’t want to overstep any professional boundaries while pursuing whatever this was with Valentina. There was a fine line here, and Juliana had to walk it perfectly. There were no room for mistakes in this scenario, no tripping off the tightrope and surviving the fall. The consequences didn’t bear thinking about.

The day passed slowly, excruciatingly slowly, as Valentina failed to appear for her regular greeting of Juliana in the garage at midday. Instead, Juliana found herself driving Guille to a meeting, and Lucia to a dinner with her girlfriends, whilst running different errands in between. The blue-eyed girl was no-where to be seen. 

To Juliana’s disappointment, midnight arrived without Valentina’s presence in her day. There was an emptiness to her, a sinking feeling in her gut, as she packed up that night. She stood in the small office with her phone in hand, Valentina’s name lit up on her screen, an empty text box open. She wrote and deleted 10 different messages before giving up with a huff and throwing her phone in her bag. She stomped out of the office and down towards the gate, a lump forming in her throat. She had no idea where it came from, but she could feel the tears start to burn in her eyes. She clenched her jaw and held on tighter to her backpack as she approached the gate, willing herself to hold it together until she got to her car. 

“I’m off, Javier. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Juliana said as she walked straight through the office, avoiding eye contact. 

“Okay, Juliana. Have a good night.” Javier finished just as Juliana closed the office door. 

She stood still for a moment and took in a deep breath. She was on the other side of the wall now, her car parked further down the street in the space allocated for the workers vehicles. As soon as she got a handle on her rising emotions, she walked slowly towards her car, her feet kicking any rock that got in her way. 

She dug in the front pocket of her backpack for her keys as she approached her car. Her fingers couldn’t locate the item, and she could feel her frustration mounting. It had not been a good day.

“For fucks sake.” She muttered through clenched teeth as she searched her bag with more aggression than was required. 

“Are you okay?” 

Juliana stopped her rummaging and whipped her head up towards the familiar sound. 

Valentina was standing on the other side of her car, her head tilted to the side, watching her inquisitively. 

“Val.” Juliana breathed, a feeling of relief washing over her like waves on a beach. 

“You seem pretty irritated. Are you alright?” Valentina sounded genuinely concerned. 

Juliana relaxed her shoulders and took another deep breath. 

“Yeah, sorry. I just haven’t had a great day.” She admitted with a shake of her head. 

Valentina huffed out a breath through her nose. “Me either.”

A moment passed between them, a heaviness of unease and the unknown hovering over them.

“Val, I-“

“Can we talk?” Valentina interrupted. 

Juliana couldn’t help the nervous chuckle that left her body as Valentina leaned her arms on the top of Juliana’s car, her head resting on her hands. 

“Please?” She asked sweetly. 

Juliana nodded her head slowly. “Of course, Val.”

Valentina straightened up and stepped away, into the shadows. 

“Come with me.” She said, her outline the only visible feature against the darkness of night. 

“Val.” Juliana could hear the hesitancy in her own voice. 

“You’re off the clock. It’s after midnight. You have nothing to worry about. Why do you think I waited until now?” Valentina asked light-heartedly.

Juliana was impressed, and a little taken aback. 

“Okay, then. Where are we going?” Juliana slung her bag over her shoulders and walked around the car towards Valentina’s voice. 

“Just trust me. Come on.” 

Valentina held her hand out for Juliana to take. Juliana swallowed any concerns she previously had and took the girls hand. Because she did trust her. She knew that she would follow Valentina anywhere if it meant spending time with her. 

Juliana smiled as she trailed along behind Valentina, sticking to the shadows of the trees opposite the wall lining the Carvajal residence. Valentina stopped suddenly, Juliana’s chin hitting the older girls shoulder as she ran into the back of her. 

“Sorry.” Juliana muttered as she regained her footing. 

Valentina looked back over her shoulder and giggled at her. “You’re cute.”

Before Juliana could respond, Valentina was tugging at her hand again, leading them to a lattice structure attached to the wall. She let go of Juliana’s hand and grasped the wooden slats, doing well to avoid the vine growing thickly against the lattice. She began climbing up the wall, and she wasn’t sure why, but Juliana was quite surprised at the athleticism displayed by Valentina as she elegantly scaled the wooden frame.

About halfway up, Valentina looked down at Juliana and whispered “This is the only way in without getting detected. Follow me.” 

And without waiting for a confirmation from Juliana, Valentina quickly made it to the top and disappeared over the edge. 

Juliana looked around skeptically before looking back up and spotting Valentina’s head peeking over the wall. She waved at her, encouraging her to follow. 

She didn’t really have many options, so Juliana stepped forward and found a hand hold before working her own way quickly up the lattice, careful not to slip on the greenery covering this part of the wall. As she reached the top, Valentina smirked at her and held out her hand to help her swing a leg over the wall. They sat at the top, a leg on either side of the wall, and observed each other. 

Juliana opened her mouth to speak but Valentina beat her to it once more. 

“This way.” She whispered, whipping her leg over the wall and stepping down onto a ledge. From there, she jumped onto the roof of a shed and then scaled a pipe down to the ground. Once she had two feet on the firmly planted in the grass, she looked back up to Juliana, her teeth glinting in the moonlight.

Juliana once again followed Valentina’s lead, making her way to the ground beside Valentina without any injuries. 

“How many times have you done this?” Juliana asked as she brushed down her pants and caught her breath. 

“A few.” Valentina said with a shrug before taking Juliana’s hand once more. “We have to be quiet now.” She whispered. “Let’s go.” 

Juliana let herself get dragged behind Valentina for the umpteenth time that night, her feet following the girl blindly as they approached the house. 

It was after midnight, so many lights were out, the house quiet. Valentina slowly slid the back door open and closed it quietly once Juliana stepped inside. They then tip-toed their way through the long corridors and empty rooms of the enormous house, careful to watch their step. 

Once they rounded the final corner, Juliana recognized this part of the house. As Valentina’s hand reached for a doorknob, Juliana knew exactly where they were. She was pulled quickly into Valentina’s room and the door was closed swiftly behind her. 

A bedside lamp illuminated the room in a soft orange glow. Even though Juliana had been in this room before, it looked much different in the light. Splashes of blue and white decorated the room, punctuated with relaxed oranges and greys. Papers were strewn messily across a desk, a mug with the remnants of tea and a tangle of glasses sat beside an open computer. Her bed was made, but the cushions and blankets on the daybed looked as though they had been occupied recently. 

Juliana shrugged the bag off her shoulders and dropped it carelessly beside the door. She watched as Valentina walked over to her bed and sat down, one slender leg bent under her as her other dangled over the edge. She patted the space beside her, a tender smile lingering on her lips.

Juliana understood the silent request and stepped forward, sitting down next to Valentina. 

They looked at each other for a moment, finally relaxing in the presence of the other. 

“I’m sorry about last night.” Juliana blurted, eager to speak before Valentina. 

Valentina clicked her tongue as she observed Juliana. A small frown marred her features. “You’re sorry about the kiss, or about leaving in such a hurry?”

Juliana pursed her lips at Valentina’s weary tone. Valentina’s eyes were downturned, her fingers pulling at a thread in the blanket underneath. 

“Hey.” Juliana murmured as she shifted, twisting her body to face Valentina. “I’m not sorry about the kiss. How could I be sorry about something like that?”

She reached forward and rested her hand against Valentina’s knee. That finally got her attention, her blue eyes slowly rising to meet Juliana’s. 

“I don’t regret that kiss, Val. Do you?” Juliana asked, her voice low. 

Valentina chewed on the inside of her cheek before replying. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for weeks. I definitely don’t regret it.” She said quietly as her lips pulled up into a shy smile. 

“Good.” Juliana responded as she tried to stop the widest grin from spreading across her whole face.

“Good.” Valentina nodded her head as she repeated Juliana’s words.

Juliana giggled as Valentina reached for Juliana’s free hand and slid their fingers together, locking them in a secure hold. 

“I missed you today.” Juliana admitted, the words flying away from her without consent.

Valentina bit the inside of her cheek as she regarded Juliana. “I missed you, too.”

They sat, watching one another, a simmering undercurrent of tension bubbling towards the surface.

“Why’d you go? Last night, you panicked. What happened?” Valentina finally asked as she played with Juliana’s fingers. 

Juliana swallowed, taking a moment to organize her thoughts. She wanted to make sure she got her words right, eager to get her point across without offending the girl sitting close beside her. 

“That’s why you deserve my apology.” She said as she squeezed Valentina’s fingers. “I don’t know how to navigate this. Technically, you employ me. Your dad pays my wage. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or do the wrong thing. I’m here to do a job. I like this job, I need this job, and I don’t want to fuck it up.”

“Hey, we don’t need to rush things.” Valentina could clearly sense Juliana’s rising anxiety. “We don’t have to define anything now. I don’t want to do anything that stresses you out.” 

“You don’t stress me out, Val.” Juliana shook her head before realizing. “Well, actually you have done some really stressful things.” Valentina giggled at Juliana’s implication. “It’s just a tricky situation for me, I guess. But I’ll work it out. I’m sorry for running off on you last night. I just knew what would happen if we got up here and I freaked out a little.” 

Valentina’s eyebrow quirked. “What did you know was going to happen, Juls?”

Juliana could feel the heat rising under her skin under the soft gaze of Valentina. She squirmed a little and averted eye contact as she tried to control the blush giving herself away. 

“Do you think something like this?” Valentina spoke, her voice only just above a whisper, as she leaned slightly closer to Juliana. Her fingers found Juliana’s knee and pressed firmly into her skin as they slid slowly down her leg, the fabric of her suit pant making a soft scraping sound as she moved against it.

Juliana finally looked at Valentina, her blue eyes burning and her lips twisted into a flirtatious smile. She was going to be the death of her. 

As Valentina’s fingers slowly made their way down her leg, Juliana brought her hand that was resting on Valentina’s knee up to her jaw. Her fingers touched lightly against the skin there, and Valentina leant gently into the touch, her eyelids fluttering. 

“Yeah, something like this.” Juliana finally replied, her voice scratchy as her throat constricted at the proximity of Valentina. 

Valentina hummed, her lips parting. Juliana watched, mesmerized, as Valentina’s tongue wetted her lips. 

The air between them was thick, heavy with unsaid words and underlying tension. Juliana’s chest heaved with the weight of what was about to happen. Her heart was pounding, a surge of chemicals flowed through her veins, her pulse thrumming in her ears. She had no control over her body’s response to Valentina, and she loved it. She’d never felt this kind of intensity before, this kind of burning need to be near another person. It was a yearning so strong it felt like she was being pulled out to sea by the tide, but Valentina was the ocean, uncontrollable and all consuming. 

Juliana’s fingers traced Valentina’s jawline to her ear, before pushing into the thick hair at her neck. She breathed in, intoxicated by the girls perfume, her hand automatically pulling Valentina’s face closer to her own. 

Valentina’s fingers finally reached Juliana’s hip, her grip tightening. Their noses brushed together and Juliana closed her eyes. She leant in, eager to press against the blue-eyed girl, but felt Valentina pull back gently. For a second, Juliana panicked. Her eyes flew open, but quickly realized that Valentina hadn’t pulled away entirely. Her eyes were closed and her lips pulled up into a coy smile. She was teasing her. 

Juliana released the breath she didn’t realize she was holding in a light chuckle, as she leant in again. If Valentina wanted to tease, Juliana was well prepared for that kind of behavior. 

“You want to play this game, hey?” Juliana whispered as her mouth reached Valentina’s ear. 

She could see the fair hairs on Valentina’s neck stand on their ends as she breathed against the smooth skin there, her nose nudging the chestnut hair away from Valentina’s neck and over her shoulder. 

Valentina’s throat bobbed as she swallowed thickly, and Juliana smiled at the reaction from the older girl. 

“No games, Juls. You know I want you.” Valentina’s voice trembled slightly as she turned her head away from Juliana, granting her better access to the long neck stretched before her. 

Juliana could see the quick flutter of Valentina’s pulse under the milky skin. There was no stopping her, as her lips pressed a careful kiss against the pulsating skin, a tiny groan vibrating low in Valentina’s throat at the contact. 

“You want more?” Juliana asked, her lips millimeters away from the glistening skin of Valentina’s neck. 

“Mmmhmmm.” 

Juliana moved again, this time opening her mouth to place another delicate kiss against the beautifully flushed skin. Being this close, Juliana was overwhelmed by the sweet scent of Valentina’s skin. It was more than her perfume, but her natural aroma that sent Juliana’s desire into overdrive. Her lips grazed up Valentina’s neck, pressing another open mouthed kiss in the soft skin under Valentina’s ear. 

“Like this?” Juliana muttered. 

The slight nod of Valentina’s head was indication enough for Juliana to continue. Her teeth bit gently into Valentina’s ear lobe, before pressing her lips on Valentina’s jaw, slowly making her way towards full, pink lips. 

As Juliana’s lips pressed a provocatively slow path to her mouth, she felt Valentina’s hands flex harder into her hip, before they moved to the waistband of her pants and pulled at her shirt. Impatience clearly took over the blue-eyed girl. Before Juliana even made it to her destination, she found her shirt half-untucked, and Valentina’s warm hard rubbing into her bare skin against her side. 

Suddenly, Valentina’s lips were on hers. Juliana sighed into the kiss, her lips slotting against Valentina’s with ease. There was no urgency in the kiss, but their mouths opened quickly, their tongues finding each other like they had been waiting for this moment for eternity. They kissed deeply, Juliana’s fingers scratching at the back of Valentina’s neck, holding her close. 

Juliana felt her skin prickle under the intensity of the situation she so quickly found herself in. She really hadn’t intended for this to happen. But it was clear the gravitational force surrounding Valentina was too strong for Juliana to resist. This was no candle flickering the wind. The heat that coursed through her was intimidating, the towering inferno slowly devouring her was threatening to overtake any control Juliana thought she had. 

Valentina shook their linked hands free and gathered Juliana’s suit jacket firmly in her hand. She hurriedly pushed at the material, pulling it down Juliana’s arms as if it might suffocate them if it was on for any longer. Once Juliana shrugged the rest of the garment off, Valentina moved quickly. Her hand gripped into Juliana’s shoulder as her leg swung across Juliana’s lap. 

Their lips separated for a moment as Valentina settled on top of Juliana. Their faces were close, stuttered breaths disclosing just how out of control they both felt. Valentina’s usually bright blue eyes were dark and focused solely on Juliana’s lips. 

Juliana pulled Valentina’s forehead against her own, her hands resting against her neck. Valentina’s hands weaved their way under Juliana’s shirt once more, her fingers gliding against the skin on her lower back. 

“Is this okay?” Valentina asked gently through the haze.

Her thighs were pressing seductively into Juliana’s legs, her weight a welcomed one. 

“This is more than okay.” Juliana whispered against Valentina’s lips.

Valentina’s fingers found the cuff of Juliana’s shirt and moved to the top button, slipping it through the slit easily. 

“I like you, you know?” Valentina admitted, her voice wavering. Juliana could feel Valentina’s tongue lick her own lips, centimeters away. 

Juliana’s brain glitched as she tried to process Valentina’s confession. She knew there was something between them, an indescribable hunger for one another, a deep yearning for connection, a push and pull she couldn’t explain. But for Valentina to utter those words to her while she sat so achingly close made Juliana’s world spin. It was as if had been tilting off its axis her whole life, and with those simple words, it snapped back into place. Everything about this felt right, her life aligned, excitement of what lay ahead splintering any fears she may have still been harboring. She didn’t want to go back to the off-kilter world she had been living in before this beautiful woman entered it. 

She spoke the only words she knew to be true in that moment. 

“I like you, too.” She breathed before leaning in and reconnecting.

Any restraint Juliana thought she had flew out the window. Her hands went searching for skin, pulling desperately at Valentina’s top. Valentina’s hair casually tumbled over her shoulders in the most irresistible fashion as Juliana threw her top carelessly behind her. 

Valentina’s fingers fumbled with the buttons on Juliana’s shirt as she urgently worked to remove the offending item. Juliana surged forward once more, her lips nipping and kissing at Valentina’s now exposed collarbones. Her hands gripped steadily into Valentina’s hips, pulling them closer to her abdomen. The movement made Valentina’s job more difficult, but it started the blue eyed girl on a gentle rocking in Juliana’s lap. 

Juliana’s hands controlled the pace of Valentina’s movement in her lap, her lips never leaving Valentina’s skin. 

Valentina whimpered at the sensation, her head snapping back as she lost herself. A moment later, she pulled back and ripped Juliana’s shirt off her shoulders, finally achieving her goal. 

“I like the black.” She smiled at Juliana’s chest as her hands pulled at the shirt caught on Juliana’s wrists, tossing it to the side. 

“Well, purple is my new favorite color.” Juliana said playfully as she ducked and pressed a kiss on the swell of Valentina’s breast, right where the bright material met skin. 

Valentina purred as her fingers tangled in Juliana’s hair, keeping her close. 

Juliana’s deft fingers managed to unclasp Valentina’s bra. She pulled away slowly and peered up at the blue-eyed girl looking down on her. She was beautiful, all flushed skin and puffed lips. But a slight hesitancy shone its way through her generally confidant façade. 

Juliana internally berated herself for the bold move. 

“I’m sorry.”

“No. No, don’t be.” Valentina rushed to quiet Juliana. She leaned her forehead against Juliana’s again. “I’m not usually nervous.” She scoffed. 

“We don’t have to-“ 

“Juls.” Valentina interrupted. “I want to. I really want to. I’ve just never –“ 

Juliana bit her lip when she realized what Valentina was trying to say.

“Neither have I.” Juliana hoped admitting her own inexperience with a woman was enough to calm Valentina’s nerves. She placed her hands gently on Valentina’s hips, happy to sit quietly in the embrace as they both came to terms with what they were acknowledging. The newness of what they were both about to embark on was nerve-wrecking, but Juliana took comfort in the fact that they were in it together.

Valentina breathed out a sigh of relief. Juliana felt Valentina’s arms move, a warm hand finding hers after a moment. Valentina lifted Juliana’s hand off the warm skin of her hip and pressed it gently against her breast, the bra removed. 

Juliana’s breath hitched as she cupped Valentina fully. 

If Juliana thought she was turned on before, it was nothing compared to the feeling of having Valentina bare in front of her, trusting her to take this intimate step with her. 

“I told you not to do that.” Valentina breathed as her index finger pulled Juliana’s bottom lip free of her teeth. 

Valentina’s teeth suddenly bit into Juliana’s lip, a low moan erupting from Juliana’s mouth. This triggered both the girls into their previous frenzy of clashing lips and caressing of skin. 

As her lips and tongue moved against Valentina’s, Juliana’s thumb brushed over the hardened nipple in her hand. Valentina’s hips jolted in her lap in response. Her fingers kneaded the supple skin of Valentina’s breasts, careful to not squeeze too hard. She knew all too well what it felt like to have someone clamp down with force, provoking pain rather than pleasure.

But she wanted more. She wanted to feel more of Valentina. The next few things happened in quick succession, Juliana’s basic instincts taking over control of her actions. 

Her lips found their way to Valentina’s breasts, kissing and sucking at the flesh as if she were worshipping from the alter of a God. She took a stiff nipple into her mouth, lapping at it with her lips and tongue. Her fingers unhooked the button of Valentina’s jeans and ripped the zipper down in one swift move. Valentina’s moans and whimpers were sending her wild, each noise making Juliana wetter and wetter. 

Valentina’s own fingers finally made their way to the clasp of Juliana’s bra, freeing her breasts. Juliana yanked at the material and tossed it away, her lips never leaving Valentina’s chest. 

She doesn’t know how she managed it, but her arms then cupped Valentina’s thighs and backside and lifted her from their place on the bed. Valentina gave a surprised yelp as her own arms encircled Juliana’s neck, holding on tight. 

As Juliana stood and balanced herself, she looked at the hooded blue eyes gazing at her. 

“I’m gross from work. Can we shower?” 

The cheekiest smile Juliana had ever seen graced Valentina’s face. It gave Juliana the answer she was looking for. Without a second thought, she walked the two of them to the bathroom door, lowering Valentina gently to the floor. 

“You’re strong.” Valentina said as she turned the door handle to the en-suite. She stepped inside and hooked her index finger in a belt loop of Juliana’s pants, pulling her in behind. “I like that.” She murmured, closing the door behind them. 

Juliana stood still as if in a daze, finally able to appreciate Valentina’s bare torso. Juliana was in awe of her flat stomach, adorable navel, and small rounded breasts. This woman was absolutely stunning. 

Valentina walked around her, a long arm reaching into the shower, a spray of water shooting out of the large shower head. Juliana stepped towards Valentina and pushed her hands just below the waistband of Valentina’s already open jeans. She quirked an eyebrow for permission, receiving a slight nod in return. Her hands slid into the jeans easily, and Juliana crouched as she shuffled the rough material down Valentina’s slim legs. 

She didn’t stop at the junction between Valentina’s legs, but as she passed by closely, she could smell her. It sent her dizzy, the butterflies in her stomach becoming more and more impatient as she continued down this path. 

Valentina stepped out of her jeans and her long fingers immediately grappled with Juliana’s belt as soon as she was back at eye level. Within seconds, the belt was gone and her pants were also undone, her black underwear clearly visible. With a light tug, the pants fell down without assistance. Juliana copied Valentina's previous movements and kicked out of her pants, before quickly removing her own underwear as well. 

She wasn’t sure where all of her confidence was coming from. She’d had sex before, plenty of times, but it never felt like this. Where she would often be a little self-conscious of her body, here she felt as if that didn’t matter. She wasn’t sure if it was a boy/girl thing, or if it was a Valentina thing. All she knew was that she didn’t want to be anywhere else. 

Valentina’s eyes widened at Juliana’s nakedness, her gaze lingering over her body as she took her in. When their eyes met, Valentina smirked and dropped her own panties. She held her hand out for Juliana and stepped them both back into the spray of warm water, the steam of the shower wrapping around them. 

Juliana closed her eyes and let the warmth wash over her. Valentina’s hands found her shoulders and pulled them closer together, their suddenly slick bodies sending a shiver down Juliana’s spine as they pressed together completely naked for the first time. Valentina’s hot breath at her ear, her teeth nibbling into her lobe, was sending Juliana crazy. 

Juliana’s palms slid from Valentina’s naked back, down her sides to her hips. She pressed firmly into the skin there, pulling Valentina’s hips into her. 

“Yes.” Valentina moaned, her lips skimming down Juliana’s neck, leaving steaming hot kisses in their wake. As Valentina sucked on Juliana’s pulse point, her hands pushed around to Valentina’s backside, the lower half of their bodies slamming together. 

“Fuck, Juls.” She whined, pulling her mouth away from Juliana’s neck. 

Her fingers teased at Juliana’s nipples, rolling them between her thumb and index finger. When she cupped her fully, Juliana sunk her teeth into Valentina’s neck, sucking at the skin before soothing it with her tongue. 

As their bodies continued to move against one another, shaky hands exploring new skin, Valentina’s moans loud in her mind, Juliana felt her self-control slipping. She imagined hanging off a tall building, her hands grasping desperately onto the ledge, the cool steel cutting into her palms. Every time Valentina groaned, a finger slipped, and it was becoming harder and harder to hold on. Four words uttered from Valentina’s full lips sent Juliana finally plummeting into a world she didn’t know existed.

_“God, Juls. Fuck me.”_

That was it. Her tether to this world snapped. She couldn’t be responsible for what happened next.

Juliana pushed at Valentina, her back smacking against the wet tile of the shower. 

Valentina huffed out a breath as she was pressed tightly against the wall. Juliana knew right away she wasn’t in any pain as her hips jutted out, searching for friction. Juliana’s lips eagerly sought Valentina’s, her tongue licking out impatiently. They kissed deeply, the electricity sizzling as they pressed into one another with fervor. Her hands squeezed Valentina’s sides as they slid down her silky skin. 

She couldn’t quite believe the response her body was having to Valentina. Every part of her ached, as if standing this close to the blue-eyed girl still wasn’t enough. It felt like she might turn to ash if she didn’t do something about the heat blazing across her skin, flowing between the two girls. 

All the sounds coming from Valentina were reassuring Juliana that she was doing the right things, so she wasted no more time. Her right hand hooked onto Valentina’s waist as her foot nudged at Valentina’s, encouraging her to open her legs. 

Her fingers drummed a trail from Valentina’s hip bone to the soft skin beside her center. 

“Are you sure?” 

There was nothing else in the world Juliana wanted to do right now than to pleasure this beautiful woman panting in front of her, but she was only going to do it if it was right. She had to double check. 

Valentina’s fingers lightly touched Juliana’s cheek. 

“Please.” She begged. 

Juliana took Valentina’s lips in hers once more as her fingers finally met with the wetness between Valentina’s legs. 

Valentina gasped at the contact, her hands tugging gently at Juliana’s hair. 

“Mmmmmm.” Valentina moaned as Juliana’s fingers slid through her folds. 

Soon enough, her fingers circled Valentina’s clit. She started gently, encouraged by the rasps of pleasure emanating from Valentina’s mouth and throat. The older girl was so overcome, she could no longer focus on kissing Juliana. Instead, Juliana moved her lips to Valentina’s neck, licking up the water droplets and sucking at the skin. Her fingers found a steady rhythm against the slick flesh of Valentina’s most sensitive spot, gradually building Valentina up into a frenzy, her whimpers and moans becoming more unrestrained as she moved against her.

Valentina’s fingertips pressed tightly into Juliana’s hair and shoulders as Juliana continued to push Valentina against the cold tile of the shower, their bodies gliding together frantically. 

“I want to be inside you.” Juliana groaned into Valentina’s ear. 

Valentina was everywhere. Every touch, every sound, every smell, every taste was commandeering Juliana’s attention. She was totally unable to conjure any thought other than being here with Valentina. She was in a state of absolute bliss. But it still wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel more, press into every inch of her. She was intent on her goal of making this woman see stars when she came. 

“Yes.” Valentina hissed, her hips moving with the motion of Juliana’s fingers. 

Two of Juliana’s fingers easily found Valentina’s entrance. She pushed gently into the soft flesh there, careful to not hurt the girl. 

As she eased inside, Valentina’s mouth popped open into a small O shape. Once Juliana’s fingers were as far inside as she could manage, she slowly retracted them and slid in again. 

Valentina’s teeth sunk into the muscle in Juliana’s shoulder as she cried out with the second push. 

“Tell me if you want me to stop.” Juliana puffed out. 

“Fuck, no. Don’t stop.” Valentina panted. 

“You like this?” Juliana spoke slowly as she moved her fingers in and out again. 

“You feel so _good_ , Juls.” Valentina stammered, her eyes rapidly blinking. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

“What do you want, Val?” Juliana questioned. She wanted to make sure she was doing what the other girl wanted. There was nothing more important right now than giving Valentina everything she needed.

“Faster. Fuck me faster.” Valentina pleaded, her hands gripping tightly onto Juliana. 

So Juliana began fucking Valentina earnestly, her forearm burning with exertion as her fingers continued to push purposeful strokes up into Valentina. 

It didn’t take long for Valentina’s body to quiver more erratically, her moans and whimpers increasing in volume and pitch. The hot water was contributing to the already steamy atmosphere of their joint shower. Juliana could feel Valentina’s skin burning beneath her lips every time she pressed them against her bare skin. 

Juliana moved her leg so she could use the leverage to push deeper into Valentina. She pulled back slightly to look at Valentina. She had a faraway look in her eye, as if she wasn’t quite in the present. 

“Juls, you’re going to make me come.” 

Juliana felt like she might explode herself as Valentina groaned the words into existence. In her whole life, her body never reacted to words quite like it did when Valentina spoke. The coil in her stomach tightened ever further, the ache between her legs becoming almost unbearable. It spurred her on, pushing deeper, faster. 

Wet hair was stuck to Valentina’s skin, her chest and face flushed and raw, small bite marks covering her neck. Juliana thought she hadn’t seen anything as beautiful as Valentina in that moment. That was until Valentina’s head fell back against the wall as her eyes slammed shut, her mouth agape. Her nails scraped the skin at Juliana’s back as her body tensed, her name spilling from Valentina’s lips in pure ecstasy. 

Juliana had reached orgasm before, but being on this side of things was a completely different sensation. The feeling of Valentina’s walls contracting around her fingers was unlike anything she had experienced before. As she continued to move against Valentina, pulling every last tendril of pleasure from the girl, she knew immediately it was an opportunity she would never pass up again. Having Valentina like this was an experience she wanted to live over and over and over. An addiction she was willing to lose herself in every time. A dream she never wanted to wake up from. 

And like the click of a finger, Valentina’s taut body fell slack around Juliana, her cheek resting on Juliana’s shoulder. Juliana slid her fingers out of the blue-eyed girl and swung her arms around Valentina, holding her upright. They swayed for a few seconds as Valentina found her footing, their chests pressed tightly together as they attempted to pull air into their lungs.

Juliana pressed gentle kisses into the wet skin on Valentina’s shoulder and hair as she held her, soothing her down from her high. Soon enough, Valentina stirred. She pulled away, her hands resting on either side of Juliana’s neck. 

“Holy shit.” She mumbled, her body still trembling. 

A mischievous smile spread across Juliana’s face as Valentina gazed at her, a look of bewilderment across her features. 

“Are you okay?” Juliana asked through a chuckle, pulling their foreheads together. 

“I feel like you fucked me into another world. It’s never felt that good before.” Valentina spoke slowly, as if her brain was still playing catch up. 

Juliana bit her lip. She was ecstatic by what had just transpired, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. 

“You’re welcome.” She replied, unable to wipe the grin off her face. 

Valentina’s grip on Juliana tightened, her eyes narrowing. Before Juliana knew what was going on, she had been flipped. Her back slapped against the tile with a surprised cry, her eyes wide. Valentina stood in front of her, a wild look in her dark blue eyes. The ache between her legs roaring, almost painful, begging to be satiated. Her stomach tightened as Valentina leaned forward. 

“I think it’s about time I show you how grateful I am for your attentiveness.” Valentina smirked before her lips and tongue clashed with Juliana’s with a newfound energy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh! I always get so nervous writing smut scenes so fingers crossed this comes across as intended.  
> And don't worry, Juls will get her time next chapter ;)  
> Hope you like where i'm going with it and are still along for the ride!


	11. Weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after...

Juliana groaned as she slowly stirred from her sleep. Her legs ached as she stretched out. As her eyes flickered open, dull early morning light fell upon unfamiliar furniture. From the distinct silence and the low light, she surmised it was somewhere near dawn. She never usually woke this early after a shift, confusion pushing through her sleepy haze. She began to turn onto her back when she realized there was a warm body curled up against her. 

A flood of memories flashed through Juliana’s mind as her eyes fully opened. Breathy moans, nipped skin, flushed cheeks and puffed lips pulled her abruptly out of her sleepy state. Chestnut hair splayed across her naked chest and slender fingers drawled across Juliana’s stomach as it finally dawned on her why her body was awoken so early. Valentina was placing delicate kisses across Juliana’s bare shoulder, her eyes still closed. 

“Val?” Juliana croaked, her voice thick with sleep.

“Mmmmhm?” Valentina mumbled, her lips still grazing along soft skin. She opened her eyes slowly, crystal blue peeking behind dark eyelashes. Juliana didn’t think Valentina could be more beautiful, but she was mistaken. Mussed hair and puffy features set against the clearest blue eyes made her heart flutter in her chest. A recently woken Valentina was the most stunning version of the girl she had seen yet. 

Valentina held Juliana’s eyes for a moment, before smirking and nipping lightly at the skin on Juliana’s shoulder. 

Juliana smiled, completely endeared by the act. She was expecting Valentina to be asleep, moving in her subconscious. It was apparent that Valentina was more aware of her surroundings and actions than Juliana originally thought. 

“I fell asleep. I better get up and go before we get caught.” 

It was the last thing Juliana wanted to do. She was warm, comfortable, and had a beautiful naked woman by her side. She would have given almost anything to throw all caution to the wind, sink back into the cream sheets and wrap herself around the alluring girl beside her. But instead, she gripped the edge of the sheet and peeled it off her body. But as she moved to sit up, a hand pulled her firmly back onto the bed. 

Juliana never thought of Valentina as physically strong, but her back hit the mattress with force, her hair whipping against the pillow. Long legs wrapped around her own as a warm body pinned her to the bed. A wicked grin flashed in front of her before Valentina pressed her lips softly against her own.

Juliana’s hand immediately weaved into Valentina’s hair, holding her close as they kissed lazily. Her other hand began trailing across Valentina’s back, a slight shiver rustling across Valentina’s skin. She sucked Juliana’s bottom lip into her mouth as the kiss deepened, their tongues gently colliding in a mess of heat and desire. Valentina shifted slightly on top of Juliana, awakening a spark of arousal deep in her stomach. Juliana sighed into the kiss, aware of every point in which their skin connected. 

Before she lost herself beyond turning point, Juliana released Valentina’s lips, her palms carefully holding Valentina’s cheeks. They watched one another for a moment, faces close, as they attempted to bring their heads out of the clouds. 

“Val, we can’t get caught.” Juliana said softly. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince herself, Valentina, or the both of them, but she knew it sounded feeble. The girl laying naked on top of her was entirely disarming. 

“We won’t. I have a plan.” Valentina breathed, her eyes shifting from Juliana’s eyes to lips and back again. 

“What’s the plan?”

Valentina offered a cheeky, lopsided grin. 

“That’s for later. For now, I want to try something.”

With that, Valentina’s lips found the tender skin on Juliana’s neck. Juliana stifled a whimper as plump lips sucked gently on her pulse point, before moving slowly down Juliana’s body.

Juliana had never known desire quite like this. As Valentina stroked Juliana’s body sensually, carefully, slowly, it ignited an intense craving deep within her. She could get lost in these sensations, of passion and pleasure, forever. She knew sex could be amazing. She knew it could feel good, it could get dirty and rough, and it could fulfil certain impulses. But this felt much more than that. An emotional and physical connection she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. 

A familiar wetness coated the inside of her thighs as Valentina’s lips wrapped around Juliana’s nipple. A soft moan filled the room as Valentina lips and tongue caressed her breasts. Her body took over, reacting the only way it knew how. Her hips started squirming under all the attention she was receiving, impatient for more.

Juliana could feel Valentina’s lips pull up into a smirk against her breast as she writhed restlessly underneath her. Her body was reacting in the most animalistic of ways and she had no intention of stopping it. Now that she knew what it was like to be with Valentina, she was weak for it, salivating for her next dose.

Valentina’s lips removed themselves from Juliana’s nipple and kissed their way along Juliana’s stomach. She could see her belly moving erratically as her breathing became deeper in anticipation of what Valentina might do next. Her fingers scratched lightly at Valentina’s scalp as the slender girl lowered herself down her body, Valentina’s tongue circling her navel before moving further south. 

Long legs kicked at the sheets that were wrapped around them, the light blue patterned bedspread pushed to the foot of the bed. Valentina pulled at Juliana’s legs, twisting her so she was laying diagonally across the bed. Juliana complied with the gentle guidance, allowing Valentina more room to lie down. Valentina wrapped her arms around Juliana’s thighs and looked up at her. 

Juliana’s sat herself up on one elbow, her other hand still entwined in Valentina’s hair, and looked down at Valentina. It was a sight she never could have dreamed of. Valentina lay between her legs, blue eyes watching her intently through dark lashes, hair pushed over one shoulder, her face centimeters away from Juliana’s throbbing center. 

“Hey, you don’t have to.” Juliana could sense a slight hesitancy in Valentina’s expression. The last thing she wanted was for Valentina to feel like she had to perform, that she had to reach a certain expectation. For once, Juliana didn’t feel like there was an underlying assumption of what was supposed to happen.

Valentina swallowed before smiling gently back up at her, her brows relaxing. 

“I want to. Is this okay? I won’t do it if you aren’t comfortable.” 

Juliana realized that Valentina wasn’t nervous about what she was about to do, but anxious about how Juliana might react. She chuckled once as a feeling of absolute adoration rushed through her, her expression softening.

“I’m okay with it if you are.” 

Valentina quirked one eyebrow and stuck her tongue between her teeth in _that way_ Juliana loves. Her head then tilted to the side and that same tongue licked over the sticky wetness on the inside of Juliana’s thigh. She quivered under the careful treatment, her center pulsing in anticipation. 

“Mmmmm.” Valentina hummed, her eyes connecting back with Juliana’s, dark eyes still gazing down at her. “Yummy.” 

Juliana’s mouth dropped open as Valentina bit her lip, knowing full well what impact her words would have. Juliana released a shaky breath as Valentina licked her lips and ducked her head. 

Valentina pressed a soft, quick kiss against Juliana. It was apparently all the blue-eyed girl needed to gain the courage for the next movement. Valentina opened her mouth and pushed her tongue against Juliana’s entrance, gliding it slowly through Juliana’s folds towards her clit. It was like a delicious torture, one Juliana would be happy to endure for all time. The sight alone almost sent her crashing into oblivion. 

“Jesus, Val.” Juliana breathed as her elbow began to give out.

“I’ve never done this before so tell me if I’m doing it wrong or if you don’t like it.” Her warm breath hitting Juliana’s slick skin was sending shivers down her spine. 

“No, no. It was good.” Juliana’s voice was lower than normal, a slight shake indicating how on edge she already was. But she was eager to ease any of Valentina’s concerns. “Do it again.” 

Valentina happily followed Juliana’s instruction. Her stiff tongue traced its way through Juliana achingly slow once more. As much as she wanted to prop herself up and watch Valentina eat her out, she lost all strength and fell back against the bed. 

Gradually, Valentina picked up the pace. Her tongue lapped at Juliana, twisting and pushing against her. As Valentina entered her, her back arched off the bed. 

_“Fuck.”_

The hand that wasn’t attached to Valentina’s head blindly searched for something else to grab onto. After squeezing her own breast, she reached down. Her fingers brushed against Valentina’s knuckles that were firmly holding Juliana’s hips in place. Valentina released her grip and Juliana intertwined their fingers, grateful for the tether to reality.

After pumping in and out of Juliana, Valentina’s tongue dragged its way up through Juliana’s folds once more and circled her throbbing clit. 

“Ay Val. That feels so good.”

Juliana was unable to contain the sounds of pleasure building in her chest. Every time Valentina’s tongue flicked over her clit just right, a gasping moan would escape. Every time Valentina pushed into her, a soft whimper would burst its way out of her throat. But all that was nothing compared to the groan that passed her lips when Valentina entered her with two fingers. She blew hot air teasingly at Juliana’s clit as she dragged her fingers in and out of her with a tenderness that made her chest heavy with need. 

Both Carlos and George had gone down on her before, so it wasn’t as if it was a brand new experience. Both men had used oral sex as a means of warming Juliana up for the main event. They didn’t care much for Juliana’s pleasure, getting it over with quickly and moving on to better things. But for Valentina, this was the main event. She was listening attentively to the sounds Juliana was making, watching for how Juliana’s body was responding to certain flicks of the tongue, and she reacted accordingly. Juliana quickly found herself barreling towards a powerful orgasm.

“Val.” Juliana panted, spots appearing behind her eyelids. “I’m close.”

“I want to see you come, baby.” Valentina murmured. 

“I need your tongue.” Juliana said quickly, her voice trembling. She barely even registered the pet name. 

Eager to please, Valentina’s lips wrapped around Juliana’s clit as her fingers continued to ride her. 

“Yeah, babe. Fuck me like that.” 

Juliana tried not to pull at Valentina’s hair but she lost all autonomy. She gave in to the slow buildup of pleasure, enjoying the coil in her lower abdomen tighten and tighten, hungry for release. Valentina whimpered as Juliana’s fingers gently tugged on her hair as the wave towered over her, threatening to crash into her any moment. 

A sucking motion from Valentina’s mouth sent Juliana spiraling. She cried out as her back lifted off the mattress, pulses of the most intense orgasm rocketed through her body, racing through her veins and electrifying every single nerve. She couldn’t think, see or hear. She was overpowered by the acute rush of the purest form of gratification she ever experienced. 

Finally, her limbs fell limp on the mattress as her body struggled to find any form of energy to move. Her legs splayed out wide and arms dropped lifeless beside her. She took in large gulps of air, her lungs searching for oxygen as if she’d just run a marathon. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, her eyes still closed as she let the warmth of her orgasm sink into her bones. 

She sighed as Valentina’s fingers slowly removed themselves. A warm body pressed up against her and a blanket was draped carefully over them before feather light kisses were placed along her jawline. Juliana managed to raise a hand and pushed it delicately into Valentina’s thick hair. 

Valentina settled into Juliana’s side as she worked to regain her senses. 

“You’re going to be the death of me.” Juliana whispered after some time. 

As much as she tried, she couldn’t open her eyes. Her body was so satiated it refused to budge. 

“Shhhh. Sleep now.” Valentina mumbled into the skin of her chest, her head tucked neatly below her shoulder. 

So with Valentina’s permission and another precious kiss to her heated skin, Juliana fell away into unconsciousness. 

~

An insistent knocking pulled Juliana out of her sleep. Once it kicked in where she was and what was going on, her body went rigid. She grappled at the edge of the blanket and pulled it over her head, curling in on herself. If someone was to walk in, it would be obvious there was someone beneath the blanket, but all rational thought had left Juliana’s brain. She was banking on the idea that if I can’t see them, they can’t see me. 

She heard Valentina groan beside her, her arm wrapping around Juliana to become the big spoon. 

“Go away.” She called out. 

“Would you like some breakfast brought up?” 

It was Chivis. 

Valentina ducked her head under the blanket and whispered in Juliana’s ear. 

“Don’t worry, the door is locked.” A light kiss was pressed to her cheek. “Do you want something to eat?”

“What time is it?” Juliana’s panic was only starting to increase.

“I don’t know. Late, probably. Chivis only knocks after 10am.” Either Valentina was oblivious to Julian’s rising nerves, or was still half-asleep.

“10am? Shit.” Juliana’s fingers pressed into the sides of her nose as her brain raced to come up with an idea of how she was going to get out of this alive. 

Valentina lifted her head again and called out. “Yes, Chivis, please! I’ll have some avocado on toast with a few eggs. But I’m pretty hungry so can you bring more than usual?”

“Yes, my girl. I’ll be back shortly.” 

When Juliana was sure there was no-one on the other side of the door, she finally peeked over the blanket. She was greeted with a smirking Valentina propped up on her shoulder, looking down at her. 

“You’re cute when you get nervous.” Valentina said as her fingers wandered lazily over Juliana’s stomach. A low growl rumbled from below Valentina’s palm, her eyes widening. 

“Lucky we’re getting a delivery soon. Sounds like someone is hungry.” She said as she nipped at Juliana’s earlobe. 

Juliana twisted to face Valentina, her hand under her face resting on the pillow. She narrowed her eyes at Valentina as she settled on her own pillow. 

“It’s your fault. You zapped all my energy.” 

A wide grin spread over Valentina’s face. “It was worth it though, right?”

Juliana moved forward and whispered against Valentina’s lips. “Totally worth it.” 

Valentina closed the rest of the space between them, pressing their lips together. What started off as innocent enough soon escalated into a handsy grinding. Juliana was absolutely ravenous. The thought of devouring the woman moving against her was the only idea occupying her mind. It was a little baffling to Juliana, the ineffable desire to be so close to Valentina. She was sore, but she wanted more and more. 

Just as Juliana shifted to lay on top of Valentina, her teeth pulling on Valentina’s bottom lip, a sharp tap on the door broke them apart.

The girls looked at one another, their eyes wide and pupils huge, as they tried to control their breathing. 

“Hide in the bathroom.” Valentina whispered. 

Juliana left a quick peck on Valentina’s lips as she moved, sliding off the side of the bed and creeping into the bathroom, gently closing the door behind her. 

She heard Valentina shuffling around the room before she opened the door. 

“Ah, Chivis. You are a lifesaver!” Valentina squeaked as the sounds of a tray being placed down indicated the food had arrived. 

“Why are you up so late?” Chivis asked.

“I just had a late night. Nothing to worry about.” 

“You look tired. But there’s something else...” Chivis spoke slowly, as if the answer was sitting on the tip of her tongue. 

“Chivis, I’m fine. I promise.” 

“Why are there so many clothes on the floor?” 

There was a shuffling sound and a jumble of voices as Valentina tried to dodge the question. Both of the girls’ clothes were still strewn across Valentina’s bedroom. Juliana leaned back against the door and prayed that Chivis wouldn’t recognize any of her belongings. 

Valentina’s rambling must have worked. There was a slam of a door before the bathroom door opened. Juliana fell back, Valentina’s arms wrapping around her, accompanied by a surprised “oh”. Juliana found her feet and stood, turning to face Valentina. 

“She’s gone. Let’s eat.” Valentina stepped towards the tray, picked it up and placed it on the bed. She then selected a piece of avocado toast and sat on the edge of the bed, her legs folded underneath her. 

Juliana hadn’t moved. Valentina’s chewing slowed as she observed Juliana, standing still watching her. 

“Juls?” 

“Do you mind if I borrow some clothes?” Juliana asked with a tilt of her head. 

In Valentina’s rush to answer the door, she had thrown on some shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Juliana was still completely naked, fidgeting with her hands. The only clothes she had with her was her suit, and she didn’t want to rummage around the room to find every item of clothing just yet. 

Valentina giggled around her mouthful before walking over to stand in front of Juliana. 

“It’ll be a shame to cover you up.” She said with a wink as she held her piece of toast up to Juliana’s mouth. “Eat this while I find you something.” Juliana opened her mouth and accepted the bread, munching on it happily as Valentina pulled out another pair of casual shorts and a black t-shirt. 

“Thanks.” Juliana choked after a forced swallow of toast. Valentina handed her the items of clothing with a small smile lingering on her perfect lips. As Juliana tried to take the clothes, Valentina’s grip only tightened. 

Juliana’s eyebrows creased as Valentina continued to stand in front of her, the material firm in her grasp. 

Valentina jutted out her chin as she tapped on her lips with her index finger, her eyes bright. 

Juliana shook her head with a light giggle as she moved forward, her lips melting against the soft texture of Valentina’s. 

“You’re ridiculous.” Juliana whispered as she parted, finally pulling the clothing into her own hands. 

“Well, you’re lovely.” Valentina replied with another quick peck to Juliana’s lips before she moved back to the bed and raised another piece of toast to her mouth. 

Juliana quickly pulled on the borrowed clothes, raking her hand through her hair as she walked over to join Valentina on the bed. 

They sat and ate breakfast in companionable silence, interjected with the occasional titter or flirty remark, but overall too focused on filling their bellies than anything else. As they took their last bite, they sat back and looked at one another. A silence settled around them as an air of uncertainty passed between them. 

Juliana chewed the inside of her cheek while she tried to find the words she wanted to say. But they were lost, every sentence scattered away as quickly as they were formed as her nerves clawed at her. She knew what she wanted, but she didn’t have the tools to express what her heart and mind were so clearly telling her. 

Instead, she asked the only question she could think of. 

“So what do we do now?”

Valentina took in a deep breath, her hands reaching forward to squeeze Juliana’s. Juliana glanced down to her lap and watched their fingers move together. The gentle touch was their silent way of comforting one another as they figured out whatever this was. 

“Juls. I know this is a lot. But like I said last night, we don’t have to define anything right now.”

“I know, but –“

“But I don’t want you to freak out.” Valentina interrupted, her eyebrows raised as she attempted to soothe Juliana. “I think it’s pretty obvious how I feel about you. Let’s just take it easy. No-one has to know.”

Juliana chewed on her lip as Valentina’s blue eyes pleaded with her. The obvious connection between them wasn’t lost on her. Last night and earlier this morning proved that this was clearly beyond just a few flirty jokes, easy laughter and longing looks. 

“I think we should keep this on the down low. But I don’t want to stop spending time with you. I know I’ll miss you once you go.” Valentina whispered, her face now closer. 

Juliana let out a shaky breath as she was pulled into the force that was Valentina. There was no denying it, she didn’t want to stop whatever this was between them either. It excited her, it roused something deep within her that she didn’t want to just dismiss. Finally, she found something she wanted to explore rather than just endure.

“Okay.” Juliana puffed out her cheeks as Valentina’s eyes widened with delight. Her face split into a smile that crinkled her eyes, immediately radiating positive energy with the one word from Juliana. “Let’s just take it easy and see what happens, hey?” Juliana spoke quietly, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. 

Valentina responded by flinging her arms around Juliana’s neck, pulling her close, a gleeful squeal bouncing off the walls. Juliana breathed her in, allowing the flowery scent of Valentina to wash over her. Valentina’s lips pressed into Juliana’s hair, continuing to her face as she pulled back, slender fingers holding onto the side of her neck. Juliana giggled as Valentina ravaged her face in a frenzy of kisses. 

“Val!” Juliana chuckled. 

Valentina silenced her with one quick kiss to her lips and leaned back, a huge grin plastered on her face. 

“I’m very glad to hear that. And I’m very much looking forward to taking it easy and seeing what happens with you.” Valentina said with a crooked wink. 

Juliana pushed playfully at Valentina, their joint laughter proving just how excited they were. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from how much smiling she had been doing. She leaned in and tucked her head in Valentina’s neck, pressing open mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin there. It didn’t take much for Valentina to fall back against the bed, Juliana crawling quickly on top of her. 

She settled with one leg either side of Valentina’s, her elbows holding her weight as she hovered over her. Juliana continued with her ministrations, licking from Valentina’s pulse point to just under her ear. Valentina’s nails pressed firmly into the skin on her back. 

“But for now, I want to hear that plan of yours. I have to be at work in just over an hour.” Juliana whispered in Valentina’s ear. 

“Well, it’s a pretty great plan. I don’t think I can just give it out for free.” Valentina spoke as she tilted her hips upwards. 

Juliana bit on Valentina’s ear lobe as a slim leg pressed up onto her center. 

“And how do you propose I pay to hear this grand plan?” Juliana mumbled, the firm pressure making her dizzy.

An impatient search for friction made Valentina’s breath stutter. “Don’t worry, I have something in mind.”

~

Ten minutes before Juliana’s shift started, she stood in front of Valentina as the blue-eyed girl fixed her jacket collar. She was in her suit, her hair pulled back into the usual bun.

“Much better.” She said, taking a step back and giving Juliana a once over. 

“How do I look?” Juliana asked, her hands out by her sides. 

“Sexy. As. Fuck.” Valentina replied immediately, earning an eye roll from Juliana. “But I always think that so it’s nothing unusual.” She finished as she playfully poked out her tongue. 

“Thanks for the underwear and shirt.” Juliana blushed as her attention shifted to the feel of Valentina’s underwear against her center. There was something strangely intimate about wearing someone else’s underwear. 

“I’m going to really enjoy thinking about you wearing my underwear today. So, you’re welcome.” Valentina said with a giggle.  
“Now, are you ready?” Valentina asked as she straightened up, her playful demeanor vanishing.

Juliana scrunched her eyes together as she steeled herself for the lies she was about to tell. 

Valentina’s hand found her own. She wrapped their fingers together and brought Juliana’s hand up to her mouth, leaving a delicate kiss on her knuckles. 

Juliana blew out a breath, opening her eyes to find unwavering blue staring back at her. 

“Yep. Let’s do it.” 

Valentina smiled and nodded her head. She stepped to the door and pointed to Juliana’s bag. 

“I’ll sneak this out to you after your shift.” She said before turning the handle and opening the door. 

She stepped into the hallway and waved at Juliana to join her. They walked quickly along the corridor and down the stairs, hoping no-one was wandering around to bump into. They didn’t speak, their eyes constantly roaming their surroundings as they moved through the house. Finally, they reached the enormous front door and Valentina grinned. They were so close to getting away with it. 

Juliana’s forearm flexed as she pulled at the heavy wooden door. 

“Juliana. I didn’t realize you were here already.” 

Javier stood at the foot of the steps, his suit well pressed and hair perfectly groomed. 

Juliana froze, her hand tightening around the door handle. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. 

Javier walked up to the top step, a wary smile on his face. 

“Juliana?” He asked again.

“Yes, Javier. Sorry.” Valentina stepped in, her sweet voice coming to the rescue. “Juliana just stopped by early to give me some advice on an assessment I’m doing for University. We have to write about cultural differences between the USA and Mexico, and considering Juliana grew up in Texas, I thought she was the perfect candidate to interview.” 

“Oh, right. That’s great.” Javier said as he nodded his head slowly, his hands clasped in front of him. His attention shifted back to Juliana. “But did something happen to your car? It’s been there all night.” 

Juliana gulped, her hands shaking slightly. She knew this was a bad idea. Javier looked like he knew something was going on, like he could see right through her. She knows she’s a terrible liar s she doesn’t know why she thought she’d get out of this one. Her livelihood now rested on how well she could convince Javier that she hadn’t been doing anything untoward.

“Uber, Juls. Right?” Valentina said as her elbow nudged at Juliana’s side. 

Juliana cleared her throat. “That’s right. My car wouldn’t start last night so I just called an Uber home and again here this morning.”

“You should have told someone. We could have organized a lift for you.” Javier said.

“Oh, no. It’s not a problem.” Juliana spoke quickly, her hand waving off Javier’s suggestion.

“Well, I’ll take a look later and get it working for you.” Javier offered. 

“That’s – it’s – you don’t have to do that.” Juliana stammered. 

“I’d be happy to help.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders, clearly just wanting to help out.

“Alright well, I need to get ready for class. Thanks for coming by early, Juls. I’ll see you soon!” Valentina chimed in and with a sly wink, she flicked her hair and disappeared back inside the house. Juliana took in a deep breath as she ripped her eyes away from Valentina’s hips swaying irresistibly.

“Thanks, Javier.” Juliana mumbled as she pulled the door shut. “I’ll just get to work now.”

“Great to see you are so dedicated, Juliana.” Javier commented as she passed him on the stairs. 

Juliana mumbled a muddled thank you, doing her best to avoid eye contact. She almost jogged away from Javier, making her way along the driveway to the garage, her brain in overdrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work is starting to get a little hectic again so i'm hoping I can keep up with the updates. I don't think I update very regularly anyway, but I apologise in advance if it takes me a little longer to get chapters posted in future.   
> I'm going to try my hand at some fluff next chap. The ideas I have are something I haven't really written before so hopefully it works. And I can feel some more angst coming up in future too... sorry but I just love writing it!  
> A quick shout out to all the other fic writers feeding us with much needed entertainment during this weird time. I'm living for it!  
> As always, let me know what you think ;)


	12. Daydream

As Juliana finished her last shift on Monday night, two nights after they had been together for the first time, Valentina appeared at her car once again. 

“Hey.” 

Juliana almost fell over, unable to stop the small squeak she made in fright. Her keys slipped from her grip, landing with a heavy clink on the road. Her eyes were wide as she watched Valentina slowly emerge from the shadows. 

“Jesus, Val.” Juliana’s hand was clutched over her chest. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Valentina snorted through her nose in amusement as she offered a half-hearted apology. 

“Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She whispered, her hands reaching out, a contrite expression rising on her face. “But you didn’t think I’d actually let you leave for your days off without sneaking out to say bye, right?”

Juliana bent over to pick up her keys, her heart still racing. She smirked at Valentina, unlocked her car, threw her backpack in the backseat and walked towards the girl she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no-one was around before taking Valentina’s hand and leading her back into the shadowy tree line. 

“I’m glad you came to see me.” She admitted as they walked.

“What am I supposed to do for the next three days if not annoy you?” Valentina asked with a pout.

Juliana pushed Valentina up against a tree and thrust her hips into her, relishing in the feeling of having Valentina so close again. They only had a few private moments alone since their night together, stealing hungry kisses and desperate touches whenever they got the chance. It wasn’t enough, but they were mindful of being caught and didn’t want to push it. So they cherished their hurried embraces and just enjoyed simply being around one another. 

Valentina’s arms wrapped around her neck as their lips met. They kissed sweetly, the gentle motion of their lips sliding together a telltale sign of how much they didn’t want to part. 

Juliana pulled back after a moment, pushing Valentina’s hair behind her shoulder before resting her palms on Valentina’s cheeks, their faces still close.

“I’ll see you on Friday, okay?”

Valentina’s eyes narrowed. 

“What are you going to do with your days off?”

“What I normally do. I’ll help Lupe around the house and probably do some sketching. Not a whole lot else.”

Valentina clicked her tongue. “Well, I’m going to miss you.”

“Mmmmm.” Juliana placed a quick peck on Valentina’s lips. “I’ll miss you too.”

Juliana stepped back and smiled at the lost look on Valentina’s face. 

“What’s wrong?”

Valentina’s face slowly morphed into one of mischief, her eyebrow quirked and lips pressed together as if she was trying to stop a smile from escaping. “Do you wanna come inside?” 

Juliana chuckled and shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving Valentina’s face. The blue-eyed girl was still resting against the tree, her long arms dangling by her sides.

“No, Val. I know exactly what will happen if I follow you inside and it was hard enough explaining it last time. Javier almost caught us and I had to dodge a million questions from my mother.”

Valentina shrugged one shoulder, trying on her biggest puppy dog eyes, feigning hurt. “Fine.”

Juliana stepped forward, once more in Valentina’s space. “You know I want to. But we need to be careful.” She spoke quietly as her fingers curled the hair around Valentina’s ear.

Valentina sniffed once and a look of resignation set in. “Okay. I know. You’re right.”

Juliana let out a breathy laugh as her eyes roamed across Valentina’s face. She was so beautiful, Juliana was once again in total awe that Valentina felt this way too. It didn’t quite feel real. She found herself staring too long at Valentina’s lips, all kinds of explicit thoughts running through her mind. She cleared her throat and gathered her thoughts. 

“I’m going to go before I get too caught up in you. You’re too cute for your own good. I’ll text you, okay?” 

She pressed up against Valentina once more, her lips finding Valentina’s. She breathed in through her nose as they kissed, attempting to commit the tantalizing scent of Valentina to memory. She flicked her tongue into Valentina’s mouth and then moved away swiftly before it could be deepened any further. She pointed to the area of the fence Valentina climbed down to see her. 

“Off you go. I’ll wait here until I see you made it up the wall.”

Valentina huffed out a breath and stood up properly. “I’ll see you on Friday?” 

“Friday.” Juliana repeated with a nod. 

If she was honest, she was just as torn about her days off as Valentina clearly was. All she wanted to do was wrap herself up in a world of Valentina and never resurface. But real life wasn’t quite that luxurious. She breathed fully when she watched Valentina reach the foot of the wall. The blue-eyed girl turned back to look at her, blew her a quick kiss, and then scaled the wall with a practiced ease, disappearing from view. 

~

Midday Thursday approached and Juliana was surprised at how difficult she found it to function normally. Lupe caught her a few times off in a daydream, a questioning look on her face as she snapped Juliana back to reality. 

On Tuesday night, Juliana had been standing at the sink, filling up the tub in preparation for washing up after dinner when Lupe’s sharp voice called her name.

“Juliana!” She cried, her hands rushing to turn the tap off. “Pay attention, you almost overflowed the sink.” 

Juliana shook her head as she looked down, the suds creeping over the lip of the steel basin.

“Sorry, ma.” Juliana mumbled as she pulled the first pan into the water, warm liquid sloshing onto the ground. 

She looked sideways, a sheepish expression on her face. Lupe was watching her closely, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the kitchen counter. Her eyes were creased at the edges, her brow wrinkled as if in deep concentration. 

Juliana cleaned up the spill and continued her chore, aware of Lupe’s eyes burning into the back of her head the whole time. 

The next lapse of concentration was Wednesday morning when Juliana was cooking breakfast. Typically, Juliana was a very functional home cook. She enjoyed preparing and cooking all kinds of different meals. So it was a shock to her system when the fire alarm began blaring at her, the incessant beeping pulling her from her reverie as she was supposed to be chopping the onion. 

“Dammit.” She mumbled as she rushed to drag a chair underneath the small unit attached to the ceiling, waving her tea towel at the device to stop the loud noise it was emitting. Lupe came rushing out of her bedroom and gasped, racing to the stove and flicking the gas lever, turning off the flame under the smoking pan. 

“Juliana, what on earth?” Lupe asked, clearly exasperated. Her eyes were wide and her arms were raised in frustration, the smoldering pan held tightly in her grip. 

Juliana cringed, her head sinking between her shoulders. “I’m sorry, ma. I don’t know what happened.” 

She continued flapping her tea towel in the air as she closed her eyes and shied away from the loud ringing in her ears. Thankfully, after a few more flicks of the fabric, the obnoxious sound ceased. She opened her eyes and looked down, her mother watching her with a slight tilt of her head. She hopped off the chair and placed it back in its original position. With an embarrassed glance to her mother, she quickly went about fixing the rest of their breakfast, aware of Lupe’s careful gaze following her around the kitchen.

On Thursday, Lupe’s shift finished at midday. The previous day, the two women had made plans to meet after Lupe’s shift for a quick lunch and a stop at the local grocery store. They sat opposite one another at one of their favorite local haunts. The random mix match of colors around the restaurant; the orange tables, blue chairs, yellow walls and green plates, was one of the reasons why Juliana had been drawn to it when they first moved to the city. It certainly helped that the food was delectable and reasonably priced. 

They settled into their seats and enjoyed the midday sun streaming in through the large windows.

“Hola, Lupe.” 

“Hi, Alex. How are you today?”

“Great, thank you.” Alex replied, a shy smile on his face. He turned to face Juliana, his white teeth showing behind a lopsided smile. “Hi, Juliana. It’s great to see you.” 

“Hi, Alex.” Juliana replied casually, a polite smile on her face. She was quickly distracted by the notification sound of her phone, her attention shifting to the bag hanging over her chair.

Alex’s gaze shifted between the two women awkwardly for a moment. 

Juliana snapped her head towards her mother as she felt a sharp kick to her shin. 

“Would you two like a menu or do you already know what you’d like?” Alex spoke quickly, his smile faltering slightly. 

“We’ll just have two of the lunch specials, please, Alex. Thank you.” Lupe replied through an apologetic smile. 

“Of course.” Alex nodded his head, glancing quickly at Juliana once more before walking away, tucking his notepad into his apron as he went. 

“What did you kick me for?” Juliana leant forward and hissed at her mother as soon as Alex was out of earshot. 

“Are you really that unobservant?” Lupe replied incredulously, her eyebrows lifting. 

“What?” Juliana barked back, her shin still throbbing. 

“That boy likes you, Juliana. You need to be nice to him.”

Juliana frowned and turned her head towards the counter. She caught Alex’s eye by surprise. The boy spilt the drink he was pouring, stumbling as he straightened the cup. He threw Juliana a sheepish grin as he wiped up the spillage. Juliana couldn’t help but laugh. 

“No, ma. He doesn’t. And I don’t need to be anything to anyone.” She rubbed at her shin and continued. “Anyway, I’m not interested.”

“Why not? He seems about your age.” Lupe made the obvious observation before leaning forward, her eyebrow wiggling. “And he’s quite handsome.” 

“Oh my God, ma. Stop checking out boys 20 years your junior.” Juliana teased, crossing her arms over her chest as she sat back in her chair, shaking her head admonishingly at her mother. 

But as Lupe rolled her eyes and shook her head at Juliana’s antics, Juliana chanced another glance at the boy. His brown wavy hair and dark eyes, heavy eyebrows and straight chin were certainly qualities Juliana could admire. She had to admit she had ogled at his muscular arms when he would carry items around the restaurant, and watched the muscles flex as he placed her plate down in front of her. But she had never entertained the idea of actually wanting to get to know the boy. 

Alex had been serving them at the restaurant since he started working there a few months ago. They had spoken before, but never anything more than the usual comments on the weather or what they did on the weekend. All very shallow, casual conversation you might have with an acquaintance, and Juliana never thought anything more of it. She was sure he had a line up of young women begging to be with him anyway. She certainly wasn’t one about to enter the queue. 

“I’m just saying.” Lupe pointed out, her chin dipped as she considered Juliana seriously. 

“Thanks, ma. But I think I’ll pass.” Juliana replied with a smirk. 

“Because of George?” Lupe queried. 

“What’s with the sudden interest in my love life?” Juliana retorted, feeling a little flustered by the barrage of questions.

“I’m not suddenly interested, I just don’t usually comment. And you never talk about it. But I know you’ve been seeing George.”

“I was seeing George.” Juliana corrected. 

“Not anymore?” 

“I’ve been busy.” Juliana hoped her noncommittal answer would pacify her mother. 

“You don’t know a lot of people in this city, mija. Maybe you should make time.” Lupe soothed. 

“Maybe I have other things to do, ma. George, or Alex for that matter, are not my priority right now.” Juliana stated, her hands falling in her lap. 

“I just worry about you feeling lonely.”

Juliana sat forward again and spoke low, pleading for her mother to believe her. She grasped her hand briefly from across the table. “Please don’t worry. I’m not lonely. I’m okay.”

Lupe smiled and nodded her head, taking a deep breath as she relaxed in her seat and looked around the restaurant.

Lupe took the hint from her daughter and changed their topic of conversation as they waited for their meals to arrive. As Alex approached and placed their usual drinks down in front of them, Juliana noticed the lingering glances he would make, or the lift of his lips as she caught his eye. 

Maybe her mother was right. And perhaps it was an idea that, if in normal circumstances, she may entertain. But Juliana simply couldn’t shake a certain long-legged, blue-eyed girl from her thoughts. No handsome young man could stop her mind from always drifting to Valentina. These past few days without her Juliana felt a little lost, untethered, like a boat with an unsecure line, floating away with the current. 

As they waited for their meals, Juliana became increasingly distracted by the sounds coming from her bag. After countless beeps and several curious glances her mother was sending her way, Juliana fumbled with her phone and switched it onto silent. She placed it face down on the table and continued the conversation with her mother, but the phone’s unrelenting vibrations eventually became too much. 

“You can answer that.” Lupe finally cut Juliana off as she motioned towards the phone. 

“Sorry.” Juliana mumbled as she picked up the device, sliding her finger in an upward direction on the screen to unlock it.

Valentina had taken the term ‘Spring Clean’ quite seriously, working her way through the mountains of clothing she had in her wardrobe. Juliana scrolled through 17 images of Valentina in all kinds of different outfits, some sexy, some plain silly. Valentina’s facial expressions were the most entertaining part, bright eyes always complimenting the pout, smile or grimace she was trying to portray. The occasional text message punctuated the photos. Valentina was asking for Juliana’s opinion on different combinations, whether she should really throw out the dress with the tag still on it, or a flirty joke imitating that she might put the item in question in the keep pile due to ‘easy access’. They were accompanied with a range of emojis, most of which Juliana assumed had a hidden meaning but she had no idea how to decipher it. 

**J:** _I will reply to all of these momentarily. I’m just out to lunch with Lupe._

**J:** _But real quick, keep the red dress. I want to see it on (and off)._

Before Juliana could lock her phone and put it down, a new message came through. 

**V:** _Naughty! How long will you be?_

**J:** _Maybe another hour. Talk when I get home, okay? x_

Juliana placed the phone face down on the table and looked back to her mother. 

“Who was that?”

Juliana shook her head nonchalantly as she brought a glass of water to her lips. 

“No-one. Just someone from work.”

Lupe nodded her head knowingly. “Right. Well.” She said as she pointed to Juliana’s face. “I don’t smile like that when I get a message from someone at my work.”

Juliana could feel the rush of blood race to the surface of her skin, flushing her face a deep red. She raked her hands through her hair as she tried to avoid eye contact with her mother. Right as she was about to reply with some generic comment in an effort to brush Lupe off the topic, Alex appeared and set their meals down in front of them. Juliana sighed in relief and thanked him without making eye contact, before digging into her food. Lupe politely thanked the boy and scolded Juliana for being rude after he’d left. 

A comfortable silence fell over them as they ate, only continuing light conversation as they focused primarily on filling their bellies.

As the two women got up to leave, Alex appeared once again. 

“Thank you, Alex. See you next time.” Lupe said kindly as she slung her handbag over her shoulder. 

Juliana pushed her chair in and joined Lupe. 

“Not a problem, Lupe. Have a nice day.” He replied happily as he picked up their plates. 

Juliana let Lupe do the talking. She walked to the door and pulled at the metal handle, motioning for her mother to step through the threshold. Just as she was about to follow her out of the restaurant, she heard Alex speak once more. 

“See you soon, Juliana. Have a nice day.” He flashed another wide smile at her as she nodded in recognition, offered a weak wave and turned to join her mother.

Sometime later, Lupe and Juliana rounded the final corner to their apartment. After what Juliana considered an inquisition into her complicated love life at the start of lunch, they had enjoyed a nice afternoon. It was different now, their relationship. Ever since they left Texas and out of Chino’s control, mother and daughter were finally able to freely be themselves. They enjoyed one another’s company, something they never had the luxury of doing back in the trailer in San Antonio. 

As Lupe continued to regale Juliana with a story about one of her coworkers who spilt a whole cup of coffee on a patron, Juliana stopped dead in her tracks. 

“Chica, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, ma. It’s just –“ Juliana cleared her throat and stepped onwards.

“Hey!” Valentina grinned as she walked forwards and greeted them. Her hair was wavy, her smile bright, her blue eyes sparkling. Juliana’s brain glitched at the gorgeous woman greeting them, an obvious bounce in her step.

“Val.” Juliana breathed. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, eyes blinking rapidly. 

Valentina picked up on Juliana’s unease, her smile quickly fading. “I’m sorry. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by to say hello.” She was talking quickly, her fingers fidgeting in front of her. “I can go if you’re busy.”

“No, no.” Juliana straightened, a smile finally appearing on her face. The blue-eyed girl was so adorable when she was bashful. “It’s great to see you, Val. I just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.”

Valentina huffed out a nervous laugh. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“Mission accomplished. You definitely surprised me.” Juliana’s smile growing wider as she was pulled into Valentina’s orbit, the rest of the world all but forgotten.

“In a good way?” Valentina asked playfully, a quirk to her lips that had Juliana’s feet shuffling forwards. 

“Yeah, definitely a good surprise.” Juliana replied as she bit on her tongue to stop more words from spilling out. 

A distinct clearing of a throat pulled Juliana’s attention away from the charming woman in front of her. 

“Juli, are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Lupita asked, that same inquisitive expression on her face. 

Juliana nodded and stepped back to a more appropriate distance. She held out her arm, shopping bags swinging from her hands, as she gestured between each person. She stumbled through introducing her mother to Valentina. 

“It’s lovely to meet you finally.” Valentina said as she wrapped Lupita in a quick hug. 

“So, you’re the family Juliana works for?” Lupita asked, clarifying after hearing the surname. 

“Technically, she works for my dad. But she drives me around a lot. I take up a lot of her time.” Valentina said excitedly as she grasped onto Juliana’s arm. 

“What are you doing here, Val?”

“Well, I thought maybe I could whisk you away for a bit. I have to buy a new dress for a charity event I have to go to in a couple weeks and I thought maybe you could help me?”

“Weren’t you just throwing out a bunch of clothes?” Juliana asked with a laugh.

“Yes. But, I need a new dress. None of the ones I had are suitable.” Valentina said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

As the girls had what seemed to be a staring contest, Lupita took the bags out of Juliana’s hands. 

“You girls go and have fun, okay? I’ll see you later, Juli.” Lupita said as she placed a quick kiss to Juliana’s cheek and walked towards the entrance of the building. “Lovely to meet you, Valentina.” Lupita exclaimed cheerily over her shoulder. 

“You too, Lupita.” Valentina called out with a wave. 

As soon as the glass doors shut to the apartment building, Juliana turned to Valentina. 

“What are you playing at, Val?” 

“What? I just wanted to see you. I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” Valentina rambled with a shrug of her shoulders. The glint in her eye told Juliana that she wasn’t at all sorry for the surprise visit. 

Juliana laughed at Valentina’s insincere apology, pushing playfully at her shoulder. “It’s good to see you too.”

Valentina wrapped her hand in Juliana’s and tugged. 

“Come on, let’s go.” 

“Where are we going?” Juliana asked as she let herself be dragged down the street. 

“I wasn’t joking when I said I needed a new dress. We’re going shopping!” Valentina practically skipped down the street, her excitement palpable. 

“How was lunch?” Valentina asked as they fell into a comfortable walking rhythm.

“It was nice. Although, Lupe seems to think the waiter there has some sort of crush on me.” Juliana snorted, as if the whole idea of it was ridiculous. 

Valentina pulled at Juliana’s hand, grinding her to a halt. 

“A crush, huh? And who is this person?” She asked impishly, her head tilted and eyes narrowed. 

“Val, seriously?” Juliana laughed at Valentina’s surprising response.

The small smile playing on Valentina’s lips, and the playful glint in her eye gave her away. 

“Well, maybe. Boy or girl?” She probed, shifting on her feet so she was closer to Juliana. 

Juliana grazed her teeth with her tongue before replying. “Boy.”

Valentina nodded her head, her lips pursing as she considered this information. “And, what do you think about this boy?” 

“Well, unfortunately for him, I’m a little preoccupied with someone else. He doesn’t stand a chance.” Juliana deadpanned. 

Valentina huffed out a quiet laugh, the warm air hitting Juliana’s face. Valentina’s features shifted, her shoulders relaxing, her blue eyes sparking alive.

“You’re cheeky.” She whispered, grazing her thumb on her free hand along Juliana’s jaw line. She then pulled back and squeezed Juliana’s hand, resuming their walk. 

They fell into general conversation as Valentina steered Juliana through the Mexico City streets. They giggled and bumped into one another affectionately as they walked side-by-side. Valentina would tell Juliana stories of when Guille unsuccessfully hit on a waitress in that café, and when Eva had embarrassed her at that store when she was rude to the cashier. They eventually crossed the road and Valentina guided them into a park, their steps slowing to a more leisurely pace as they walked beneath the arch welcoming them to the space. Juliana breathed in as she held Valentina’s hand in her own. The shade from the trees was a welcome relief from the walk, the green from the shrubs and spatter of lawns were an enjoyable contrast to the grey and black of the sidewalk. The noise from the traffic faded into the background, replaced by the rushing of water from a nearby waterfall and the chatter from people going about their day, relaxing in the mid afternoon sun, and seeking their own slice of solace in the middle of the dense city. 

“Your mother seems nice.” Valentina said casually, their hands swinging between them. 

Juliana nodded her head at Valentina’s observation. “Yeah, she’s been great ever since we moved here. Our relationship wasn’t always so solid when we lived in Texas.”

“Why’s that?” 

Juliana puffed out her cheeks as she considered how to respond. She didn’t really want to go into too much detail about her history, but she also didn’t want to avoid the truth. Valentina didn’t deserve that. 

“She was too wrapped up in protecting my father to care about what I thought or what I wanted.” Juliana said with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. The last thing she wanted was for Valentina to pity her. “We only really started getting along since we left our old life behind.”

Juliana looked to Valentina, walking beside her. She had contemplative look on her face as she started at the ground, watching her feet take step after slow step. The small heel on her boots made a light clacking sound on the uneven pavement beneath them. 

“What happened to your papa?” Valentina asked after a couple moments silence. 

Juliana felt her face fall into one of neutrality. She had conflicting emotions about her father, ones that she tried not to divulge too much into. Instead of feeling them, she tried to forget about him as much as possible. 

“I don’t know.” She confessed. “After I graduated from high school, Lupe arrived home from work early one day in a state. She told me to pack our bags, said that we were leaving. I didn’t ask any questions. I just packed up what I could fit in my bag and she drove us away. She has family here in the city so that’s why she chose to come here. We haven’t looked back since and I have no idea what happened to my dad. I never asked.”

A slight breeze picked up suddenly, ruffling through Juliana’s hair. It cooled the light coverage of sweat that had sprung up on her hairline. She breathed in deeply. It was a stunning day, the sun bright and warm, the park vibrant and full of life, a steady hand gripping onto her own. 

“Aren’t you curious?” Valentina asked quietly. 

Juliana turned her head to regard Valentina. Instead of watching the ground, her eyes now bore into her own. She had a serious expression on her face, her brows furrowed as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

“You don’t have to answer…”

“No, Val. It’s fine. It’s just complicated.” She admitted. “You remember when I said that my dad wasn’t the nicest guy in the world?” Juliana asked, remembering their conversation on the balcony, the night of Guille’s birthday party. 

Valentina nodded her head as she thought back to that same night. 

“Well, my father never really acknowledged that I was his. It wasn’t the nicest environment to grow up in. So when my mother told me to get in the car and we drove across the border, I didn’t want to know what happened, or what he did. I was just happy to start fresh.” She squeezed Valentina’s hand. “I never needed him then, and I don’t need him now. I don’t want to know.” She said firmly, as if willing herself to believe her own words. 

Valentina’s face softened into one of sorrow. Her lips downturned and her eyes gleamed over. 

“Hey, no.” Juliana stopped their slow stroll and turned to face Valentina. “Don’t be sad. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you upset.” She murmured as her thumb brushed over Valentina’s eyebrows in an attempt to soothe the girl, wiping away the sadness evident there. Her hand brushed away some hair and came to rest on the side of Valentina’s neck. They gazed at one another; Juliana’s thumb continuing to rub smooth circles on Valentina’s skin. 

A small smile made its way onto Juliana’s lips. 

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Valentina asked with a tilt of her head. 

“Feel so much.” Juliana said gently, falling into the intense depths of blue gazing at her.

A slight twitch of Valentina’s lips made her face light up, their previous conversation taking a backburner. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you almost just cried at my silly story. It’s so obvious, the love you have for your brother every time you hang out. And the whole Lucho ordeal…” Juliana stopped herself before she went any further. But she’d already said the words out loud. They’d just slipped out, spilling off her lips and unable to be reeled back in. She watched on with guilt as Valentina’s jaw clenched and shoulders visibly slumped. Her eyes shifted, unable to maintain eye contact.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to –“

“No. You’re right. I think that was part of my problem with Lucho.” She mumbled. “I was young when we got together. I got too wrapped up in the romanticism of being in a relationship. And Lucho was so great in the beginning. We were amazing friends before anything else. But I was naïve, and Lucho took advantage of that.”

“It’s not fair, what he did to you.” Juliana said forcefully, urging the other woman to believe her.

Valentina finally looked up, a shy smile on her face. “I know that now. Thanks to you.” 

It was Juliana’s turn to question the other girl. “What?”

“Juls, if you hadn’t stepped in and helped me, told me to fight for myself, I would probably still be that sad girl drowning herself in alcohol just to numb the pain of the mess I’d made of my life. I’d probably still be avoiding my problems and still completely miserable.”

Valentina stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Juliana’s neck and pulling her in for a tight hug. 

“I’ve never felt anything more real than what I feel when I’m with you.” She whispered into Juliana’s hair before pressing a light kiss on her neck. “So I’m okay with feeling so much as long as you stick around.” 

Juliana was dumfounded. Her arms tightened around Valentina, a flutter blooming in her chest. She held Valentina close to her, completely incapable of forming a coherent thought as Valentina’s words bounced around in her head. She swallowed, willing herself to respond with something of equal significance. She wanted Valentina to know she felt the same way, that her interactions with the blue-eyed girl were the highlight of every day. She wanted to tell her that she couldn’t think straight when she wasn’t around. 

Before Juliana could respond, Valentina pulled back and linked her hand with Juliana’s again. 

“C’mon. The first shop is just through here.” Valentina gestured to the street, cars flashing by in the distance. 

Juliana smiled and nodded her head, trying to pull it down from the clouds. 

~

“What do you think, miss?” 

Juliana smiled at herself as she sipped on an iced tea in an air-conditioned boutique. Her feet were up, resting on a black ottoman, her body sinking into an expensive velvet couch. She let her head fall back on the head rest and closed her eyes as she contemplated that there were certainly worse ways to be spending her afternoon. This was the third store they had been to, and Valentina still hadn’t found a dress she liked. 

Juliana had enjoyed sitting back and admiring the figure hugging garments Valentina tried on, one after another. She was quiet when Valentina twirled on the stand in the middle of the dressing room, trying to pay attention to the conversation Valentina would have with the shop attendant, but often too distracted by Valentina’s figure to concentrate for long enough. She would wink when Valentina caught her eye in the mirror as different women doted over the taller girl, poking and prodding at her body and the pieces of fabric. She refrained from commenting too much on the different outfits, too shy to give her honest opinion while the workers were listening. She would provide the required criticism with a slight shake of her head or an approval with an enthusiastic nod.

Valentina never faltered. As soon as she saw Juliana’s face, she reacted accordingly. With the faint shake, Valentina turned and walked straight back into the dressing room without an explanation, the sales assistant trailing behind her with a bombardment of new suggestions.  
With the look of approval, Valentina would sway and twirl, showing off the dress and gushing over the elements of the material she liked, all the while watching Juliana in the reflection of the mirror. 

But she was yet to agree to any dress. 

“I think I like this one.” Valentina called out, the sound of a zip just audible over the low piano music playing over the store’s speakers. 

“You think?” Juliana replied, leaning forward to place her cup of iced-tea on the side table. 

“I need to know what you think first, obviously, Juls.” 

“How about you make a decision before stepping out here and asking me what I think?” Juliana responded, her voice laced with amusement.

“Why? Are you bored of shopping with me already?”

“No, of course not. You know I could do this with you all day. I just don’t think my opinion matters so much. You know what you like.” Juliana answered as she picked distractedly at a thread coming lose in the bottom of her t-shirt. 

“You’re right. I do know what I like. Dark, mysterious and surprisingly tasty. I’ve only recently discovered it, though.” Valentina quipped. Juliana easily picked up on her hidden meaning, her flirtatious tone giving her away. Her eyes flicked to the shop assistant, but her face remained stoic as she stood still, hands linked together in front of her, as she pretended to want to be there. 

“But this dress I like, too.” Valentina concluded. 

“We’re ready when you are, Val.” Juliana lifted her feet off the ottoman and leaned forward on the couch, her elbows resting against her knees. She tried to focus on containing the heat that had crept up her neck and flushed her face.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Valentina said as she pushed the door open and stepped forward. 

Without warning, Juliana’s breath caught in her throat. Valentina cautiously clutched at the floor-length gown as she took the few steps forward, only letting go of it as she stood on the platform in the middle of the dressing room. The ocean blue silk material fell as Valentina straightened, pulling her shoulders back and standing tall in the way Valentina so casually pulls off. Juliana knows if she acted the same way, she’d only come across as pretentious. There was something about the way Valentina carried herself, a kind of grace and elegance that Juliana wasn’t sure if it just came naturally to her, or if it was drilled into her from a young age from a wealthy family. Either way, Juliana doubted Valentina could ever look anything other than flawless. 

The cowl neck sat perfectly against Valentina’s chest, the thin straps holding the dress up looped daintily over her shoulders and down across her back, joining at a low junction. It gathered subtly at the waistline before flowing to the floor, a slight split in the side of the dress providing Valentina with the opportunity to show off her long leg. A combination of factors made this dress look utterly breathtaking on Valentina’s slim frame, but what Juliana found so mesmerising about this garment was the shade of blue. 

Juliana was swept up into Valentina’s gaze, her blue eyes shining as the dress perfectly complimented her most compelling physical feature. It was as if the designer had used Valentina’s eyes as inspiration for the dress. It was something Juliana wished she could do. 

“You like this one too, huh?” Valentina asked lightheartedly, pure delight unmistakable in the way she looked at Juliana. 

Juliana realized her mouth was agape and she was staring a little too obviously. She stood up and walked purposefully towards Valentina.

The shop assistant was talking, but Juliana couldn’t hear a word she was saying. It was obvious Valentina also wasn’t listening, her body still as she watched Juliana approach her from behind. 

“I like it, Val. I think this is the one.” Juliana said shakily, her voice giving away just how affected she was. 

“Adrienne. I’ll take this one.” Valentina spoke to the girl without taking her eyes off Juliana. 

“Oh. Great.” The girl beside them huffed, seemingly put out by the interruption to her monologue. A beat. “What about shoes?” 

“Yes. Shoes. I’ll take the heels I tried on earlier.”

“Yes, miss. I can put them aside for you.” 

“Juls, I need your help to unzip this.” Valentina broke away suddenly, stepping down from the platform and taking Juliana’s hand in hers. “Thanks, Adrienne. I’ll be at the counter in a moment.” Valentina spoke quickly as she directed herself and Juliana back into the change room. She let go of Juliana’s hand as she closed the door gently. 

“You got the zip up by yourself, Val.” Juliana mocked before she felt Valentina’s lips press against her own. 

Juliana let out an involuntary _“oof”_ as she was pressed up against the back of the change room, the urgency in Valentina’s kisses taking her by surprise and effectively knocking the wind out of her. 

Valentina’s hands flew to her neck and shoulder, pulling her close as she pushed her tongue into Juliana’s mouth. Juliana’s hands instinctively gripped at Valentina’s waist as she returned the embrace, momentarily getting lost in Valentina’s closeness. 

Eventually, she pulled away and looked at Valentina, eyes wide and pupils dilated. 

“Val?”

“Yeah?” She breathed, her eyes unfocused. 

“I’m not complaining, but –“

“I’ve been wanting to do this all day.” Valentina breathed as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Juliana’s. “Actually, if I’m telling the truth, I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I climbed up that wall on Monday night.”

Juliana released a breathy chuckle, pressing another kiss to Valentina’s lips. 

“I’ve missed you too.” She whispered. 

They savored the closeness of one another for a moment before Valentina pulled away. She cleared her throat and turned around, pulling her hair to one side and looking back over her shoulder. Juliana was stunned frozen at the sultry gaze directed straight at her.

“I actually do need help with the zip though. Please?” Valentina fluttered her eyelashes as she spoke, jutting out her hip for Juliana to find the zip. 

Juliana arched a brow as she contemplated Valentina. Her chest constricted at how easily turned on she was by a simple look, a flash of blue, a coy smile. The affect this woman had on her completely shattered every preconceived idea she had ever held regarding attraction and longing. It had Juliana spinning around in circles, trying to readjust as she straightened but finding herself still off-balance, fumbling about as her world shook.

She swallowed as her fingers gripped onto the tiny zip in the side of the dress, easing it down slowly. As soon as her fingers let go of the silk material, Valentina dropped her shoulder, allowing the thin strap to slide down her arm. Soon enough, with a slight shimmy, the dress slipped gracefully down her body, pooling at her feet. 

Valentina turned back to face Juliana fully, absolutely fearless as she stood completely naked in front of her. 

Juliana missed the smirk on Valentina’s face. Her eyes were too busy worshipping the mass of silky smooth skin before her. Perfect pink nipples, perky breasts, toned stomach, the tiny spatter of hair between her legs. She was stunning. 

“Val.” Juliana breathed, completely entranced, but almost in warning. 

She couldn’t think, could hardly breath. Her heart thumped hard and strong in her chest, blood rushing in her ears, a twinge pulsing between her legs. It still shocked Juliana, how painfully sexy she found another woman’s body. 

“Touch me.” Valentina spoke almost like a question, her voice dripping with want. 

Juliana’s eyes finally detached from their ogling of Valentina’s breasts and connected with blazing blue, something akin to fire in water, if there ever was such a thing. She wanted to drown in them. 

“Here?” Juliana choked, her throat dry. 

Valentina dropped her chin and licked her lips. 

With that simple action, Juliana didn’t stand a chance. Her brain switched off all reasoning, leaving no room for any thought other than feeling Valentina. All of her. She felt herself slipping into euphoria as her hand reached forward. Her thumb brushed a nipple as she cupped her fully. Valentina gasped slightly with the touch, her eyelids fluttering at the sensation. 

“Val.” Juliana uttered, urging her to look at her. 

A brief moment passed as the girls locked onto one another, a thousand unsaid words transmitted with a simple look. 

Everything happened quickly after that. 

Lips and tongues met with a sigh, hands pressed desperately into skin, muffled groans were only mildly suppressed into shoulders and necks. 

Valentina hooked her leg around Juliana’s waist as she was pressed up against the side of the moderately sized dressing room. Juliana’s fingers easily found the wetness gathering in abundance between Valentina’s legs, sliding through slick heat while her lips grazed the warm skin on Valentina’s neck. 

“I want you so bad.” Valentina moaned in her ear. 

“How bad?”

“I had to pleasure myself yesterday because I couldn’t get you out of my head.” Valentina admitted as Juliana’s fingers flicked purposefully over Valentina’s clit. 

“ _Fuck_.” Juliana groaned, only somewhat aware of the very public place they were in. “You can’t be saying that kind of stuff to me here.”

“Why not?” Valentina whined, her fingers tugging on Juliana’s hair. 

“Because I might not be able to stop myself.” Juliana mumbled before she bit on an earlobe. 

“Then don’t.” 

Juliana leaned back enough to look at Valentina. Her face flushed, eyes dilated and hazy, lips plump and wet. 

Valentina blinked and levelled her gaze at Juliana. With a distinct clarity that surprised Juliana, she whispered “fuck me.”

Juliana bit her lip as her fingers found Valentina’s entrance. 

“You’re so beautiful.” She whispered as she slipped three fingers up into Valentina. 

Valentina’s eyes rolled back a little at the full feeling, a slight huff leaving her lips as Juliana settled deep inside her. As soon as Valentina relaxed against her, Juliana took her cue and began to move. She was slow at first, but being mindful of an untimely interruption, she quickened her pace. Valentina didn’t seem to mind. Her head hit the white wall of the stall with a thud, her eyes struggling to stay open as she bit her lip to stifle the sounds of pleasure demanding to be set free. 

It didn’t take long for Valentina to begin to shudder in Juliana’s grasp. The intensity of the moment, the excitement of finally being together again, and the spontaneity of being so intimate in public all contributed to their heightened arousal. 

Juliana’s strong, persistent strokes quickly built the blue-eyed girl up to breaking point. 

“ _Fuck_ , Juls.” She whined, breath hot against Juliana’s ear. 

Valentina’s mouth attached firmly to her shoulder, teeth biting into the flesh there as she gave into her orgasm, her body shaking, fingers tightening on Juliana’s back and in her hair. 

In response to the slight pain in her shoulder, Juliana pushed harder. She curled her fingers and held Valentina there, allowing her to feel everything she needed, to take what she could in that moment. 

Gradually Valentina’s limbs relaxed and her lips replaced her teeth, pressing light kisses on the obvious marks in her skin. Juliana slowly removed her fingers, trailing them along Valentina’s thigh and around to her back, holding her in a tight embrace. 

Valentina nuzzled into Juliana’s neck, humming gently as her erratic breathing began to calm down. Soft kisses were smoothed lazily against the skin on her neck and shoulder in no particular rhythm. 

A sharp rasp on the door broke the girls out of their bubble of bliss. Juliana turned and angled her body between Valentina and the door to the cubicle. At least she was still fully clothed, but Valentina was very naked and there was no way Juliana wanted anyone else seeing that. 

“Miss, are you alright in there?” Adrienne trilled politely through the door.

Juliana could feel Valentina relax slightly behind her. She cleared her throat, finding her voice. 

“Yes, Adrienne. We had trouble with the zip but we just sorted it. Be out in a moment.” Valentina sounded surprisingly unaffected considering what had just transpired. 

The sounds of the store finally returned to Juliana’s senses now the haze of temptation and arousal had lifted. The light click of Adrienne’s heels on the tiled floor indicated she was walking away, the light sound of irritating elevator like piano music still playing from the speakers. 

Juliana took in a deep breath as she stepped away from Valentina. She gathered up Valentina’s bra and panties and handed them to her. She offered Valentina a boastful smile as Valentina took the items from her. 

“I’ll wait outside while you get dressed.” 

“But –“

“You can wine and dine me, first.” Juliana interrupted with a wink over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her. 

She felt like she floated over to the couch as she threw herself into the cushions, the smell of Valentina lingering on her fingers only serving to widen the stupid smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there are only so many times I can look at this chapter and still not know what to do with it. I knew how I wanted it to come out, but it didn't quite go the way I thought it would. Does any other writer on here post stuff they aren't 100% sold on, or is it just me? I've re-written this chapter twice and then had it sit in my docs for a week and I still can't work out how to make it better, so i'm just letting it go out there, and hopefully i'll be better next chap!  
> Considering the amount of times I read this, there shouldn't be any mistakes, but there probably is... sorry!  
> Thanks for sticking with me on this, and apologies for the late update. I am still going, albeit slowly.  
> If you wanna chat, find me on Tumblr at humblewats :)


	13. Bouquets

The warm spring months slowly morphed into a sweltering summer. The formal suit she bought herself with Leon’s money when she first started was no longer suitable. One morning before work, Juliana took herself shopping and bought herself a more weather friendly pant and light blouse ensemble. 

As the weather warmed, she was grateful for the ice-cold air-conditioning in all Carvajal SUV’s. It was a luxury she didn’t always have the pleasure of experiencing. Long summers in the small trailer in San Antonio where she grew up were enough for anyone to kiss the cool air she immersed herself in now. The tiny trailer with the old, outdated, clanging air-conditioning unit that barely pushed enough air out to cool a small cardboard box was a memory she was happy to leave behind her.

The most exciting aspect of the change of season, however, was the plentiful opportunities for Juliana to appreciate the goddess that was Valentina Carvajal. 

Juliana knows Valentina does it on purpose. The blue-eyed girl took whatever chance she could to strut around the grounds in minimal clothing, wearing the denim shorts and crop-top combination she knows Juliana likes. She’d shake her hips in the way she knows Juliana can’t help but stare. She’d lie around in her bikini, rubbing oil into her skin as she watched Juliana work. And more often than not, Juliana failed to concentrate when Javier was speaking with her, especially when Valentina makes a point of bending over to pick up her towel right in her eye line. She very quickly lost count how often she had to ask Javier to repeat himself. It was embarrassing. 

So it’s no surprise that when Juliana got the chance, she would sneak around the grounds in order to find Valentina. After being teased so brazenly while on the clock, she couldn’t help but steal some moments alone up close after watching her from afar. And somehow Valentina was never shocked by the sudden presence of Juliana in her space. Each time she rounded the corner, or wrapped her arms around her from behind, she was only ever greeted with a sly grin and a crushing hug, before it inevitably escalated. 

Juliana would find Valentina in quiet spaces, away from anyone else. She would wait until Valentina would disappear into the pool house, looking over her shoulder before entering the changing room at the rear of the room. She would take her breaks beyond the tree line on the eastern side of the property, Valentina already sprawled out on a picnic rug with two sandwiches in brown paper bags. Or she would wander into the greenhouse at the rear of the property, where Valentina would be admiring the different plants growing in abundance there. Comments from Valentina’s family about her sudden interest in spending so much time in the greenhouse were accepted with a laugh and without complaint, Valentina playing her part to keep their relationship a secret. 

Just over a month had passed since Juliana gave into temptation and slept with Valentina for the first time. With no ground rules or direction, the two women were swept up into a tornado of lust, longing and sneaking around. There was something about no-one else knowing what was blossoming between them that made Juliana’s blood rush. Her heart rate would spike whenever she pushed Valentina up against a wall, or laid her down on the empty table in the greenhouse. Her breathing would turn ragged whenever her fingers slid through Valentina’s wetness, or when Valentina would confidently whisper positively dirty things in her ear. Her hands would tremble whenever Valentina pushed her tongue inside her, or when her teeth would graze a sensitive nipple. 

The obvious connection between them continued to flourish, never wavering, and not only in the physical sense. Juliana had finally come to terms with the fact that they shared an intense physical connection. In the beginning, it was hard to wrap her head around her unquenchable thirst, or the powerful need to be close to Valentina. Her previous beliefs in what a physical relationship meant and what it was supposed to feel like was crushed to dust pretty quickly. She still found herself grinning stupidly on her drive home from work, memories of a flushed and satiated Valentina in the forefront of her mind. There was something about the way their bodies connected, the way they could read one another without uttering a single word that made Juliana’s heart skip a beat. There was no shame between them as they gave into their release. It was effortless to be open, honest and comfortable about what they wanted, giving and receiving with a passion that sometimes frightened Juliana.

But the force of her feelings, ones of belonging and trust that emerged so naturally was what Juliana really grappled with. She wanted to be around Valentina all the time, another concept she had no real understanding of before all this. And when Valentina wasn’t occupying her space, her mind was completely dominated by thoughts of the youngest Carvajal. Sometimes, when she had the time to reflect, the idea that shocked Juliana the most was the fact that it didn’t seem one sided. Valentina’s behaviors indicated that she was equally as enraptured with Juliana, her phone blowing up with texts whenever they were apart being a testament to that. Or her expression when they had to part appearing just as wistful. 

As the summer break rolled around and Valentina finished classes for the semester, their time together adjusted. Instead of chauffeuring Valentina to classes whenever the blue-eyed girl decided to attend, she would drive Valentina to the Carvajal Group offices. Valentina was required, as per Leon Carvajal, to work for the family business in the summer months. Valentina complained about the job being meaningless, thrown into general administration duties with all the other summer college students. But Leon was adamant that Valentina wouldn’t receive any special treatment. She would learn the ropes of the company from the bottom up, just like her siblings before her. 

“This sucks.” Valentina huffed. “I won’t be able to spend as much time with you.”

Juliana smiled at Valentina’s pout. She looked like a child who was just told she wasn’t allowed desert. She flicked jestingly at Valentina’s lips with her index finger.

“It’s okay, Val. I’ll still pick you up for lunch and when you finish every day. It’s only a few hours, if you think about it.” Juliana tried to reason.

“But I want to spend all of my time with _you_.” She whined.

“I know, Val. I wish I could spend all my time with you, too. But this is an important step in your career as a journalist. I’ll still see you every day.” 

Valentina’s solemn expression slowly softened as she held out her fist to Juliana, her elbow resting on the center console. Her pinky finger was extended out between them, a small smile on her lips.

“Promise?” 

Juliana glanced at Valentina quickly before she looked back at the road in front of her. She laughed through her nose before letting go of the steering wheel with one hand and linked her pinky finger with Valentina’s. 

“Of course. I promise.” 

As Juliana attempted to let go, Valentina held on tighter. 

“Hey, you have to stamp it.” She chided.

Juliana pressed gently on the breaks as she pulled up out front off the Carvajal Group offices. The enormous gold lettering of the Carvajal name glinted in the sunlight against the white building. There was a mass of business people rushing down the large sidewalk in all different directions, engrossed in their own worlds as they swung their briefcases and held on tight to their cell phones. Their expressions were hard, their walk purposeful as if they were late to another important meeting. Some looked unhappy, some frustrated, others plain bored. It made Juliana grateful for the ball of light that was Valentina, sitting impatiently beside her, her energy thick with optimism and hope. 

She turned to Valentina, an expectant look lingering on her face. 

“The promise only works if you stamp it.” 

Valentina’s thumb was raised, reaching over their clasped hands. Juliana got the hint and pressed her own thumb against Valentina’s. 

“And then it has to be sealed with a kiss.”

“Do you make all your promises with a kiss?” Juliana queried, her nose scrunched up in mock seriousness. 

Valentina giggled. “Only the important ones.”

Valentina shifted forward and pressed her lips against her thumb, still pressed tightly against Juliana’s. 

“Okay.” Juliana released with a breath, copying Valentina’s actions and kissing her own thumb. She kept her eyes on Valentina as she did so, their faces close. As she pulled away, Valentina lunged forward and captured Juliana’s lips in a soft hold. 

To Juliana’s dismay, it was over as quickly as it began. Valentina pulled back and picked up her bag sitting at her feet, looping it smoothly over her shoulder. 

“You’re game.” Juliana commented.

Valentina opened her own door and winked at Juliana, her cheeks redder than usual. “The windows are tinted.” She said as she tapped the window for effect. “I’ll see you at 4?”

“I’ll be here.” 

“Miss you already.” Valentina whispered before she closed the door behind her. 

“Miss you too, Val.” Juliana mumbled into the sudden quiet of the car. 

She sat and watched Valentina walk away, smiling at the cheeky grin sent her way before the object of her affections disappeared through the large glass revolving doors. She sighed as she looked down at the list of jobs Javier sent her before putting the car into gear and getting on with her day. 

~

While Valentina worked and was no longer able to dominate all of Juliana’s time, she found herself spending more time with other Carvajal family members. 

On Thursday afternoon, after dropping Valentina back to the offices from lunch, Leon clambered into the back of the vehicle. 

“Good afternoon, sir. Where do you need to go?” Juliana asked courteously as she watched Leon buckle in through the rear-view mirror. She had gotten so used to having Valentina sitting up beside her, it was almost strange having someone occupying the back seat. 

“Juliana, it’s great to see you. I’m actually meeting Camilo for lunch, so if you could take me to that restaurant he likes, that would be great.” He replied cheerily.

Luckily, Juliana knew exactly which restaurant Leon was referring to. She had picked Camilo up from “Safari Club” plenty of times as his Uber driver. 

Juliana confidently steered the large SUV into the Mexico City traffic, random radio chatter filling the car. Leon’s head was bent as he typed away at his phone. Juliana surmised he was likely replying to emails, or answering some work-related text message. He was an extremely hard worker, and Juliana admired that about her boss.

She tuned out and focused on the drive, her mind flitting often to a soft pair of blue eyes and devastatingly long legs. 

An obvious clearing of throat eventually pulled her out of her daydream. 

“Sorry, sir. Did you say something?”

Leon chuckled, a low, throaty sound. 

“I asked how things were going with Valentina. She seems like she’s in a much better place since the whole Lucho debacle.”

Juliana felt her palms go clammy at the thought of discussing Valentina with her father. She would have to tread lightly, watch her words so there was no casual slip up. 

“Yes, sir. She has been much better since Lucho left her alone.” Juliana said with a shy smile. 

“That’s great to hear, Juliana. Thank you for looking out for her.”

“It’s no problem, sir. Really.”

A brief silence fell over them as Juliana gripped the steering wheel, her eyes straight ahead. 

“I can see you two have become good friends.”

Juliana caught Leon’s blazing blue eyes in the mirror. She smiled and nodded her head. Her tactic was to speak as little as possible on the subject. She knew she was terrible at lying, so she figured the less she said, the less likely she was to be caught out. 

“I know I’m not around as much as I’d like. But when I am, you’re all she talks about.” Leon admitted, his eyes full of mirth.

“I hope that’s okay, sir.”

“You hope what’s okay?” Leon asked, his expression of genuine puzzlement doing nothing for Juliana’s nerves. 

“That we’ve become friends.” She replied shakily.

Another chuckle resonated behind her. “Of course not, Juliana. It’s human nature, to connect with the people we work closely with. I can see from the logbooks that Valentina always seems to call on you for a ride.” Leon cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “It isn’t lost me on that Valentina’s improvement in mood and behavior coincides with your entrance into our lives. I’m grateful she has someone she can talk to. You’re good for her, I think. You seem to keep her grounded.”

Juliana released a nervous giggle before taking in a deep breath. She didn’t know how to respond, so she nodded her head and kept her eyes on the road. 

“Which makes me want to kick myself a little for mentioning this. But Valentina has spoken about your love for fashion, and dream of one day entering the fashion design industry. Is this correct?”

“Yes, sir. That’s right.” Juliana’s mind was racing to try and understand where this conversation was going. 

She indicated and turned into the street in which the restaurant was located. 

“An old friend of Valentina’s mother actually owns and runs a fashion design school here in Mexico City. I got in contact with her recently and she is willing to meet with you, if you so desire.”

“Oh, wow. That’s -. Sir, that sounds amazing. Thanks. Thank you so much.” Juliana tripped over her words, stunned at Leon’s generosity and thoughtfulness. 

Juliana was so wrapped up in what Leon had just told her that she almost drove straight past her stop. She pulled abruptly into a spare space on the side of the road and turned in her seat, the stupid smile unable to be wiped off her face. He was placing his phone in his jacket pocket and reaching for his briefcase, a kind smile playing on his lips.

“I’ll have the details sent to you. And thanks again, Juliana. For everything.” 

And with that, Leon Carvajal exited the vehicle without giving Juliana the opportunity to respond. 

Juliana watched Leon greet Camilo at the entrance of the restaurant before she sat back in her seat and giggled, bringing her hands to her mouth. 

“Holy shit.” She whispered to no-one. 

~

Friday at 4pm saw Juliana waiting patiently inside the large black SUV outside the Carvajal Group offices. 

Her fingers tapped against her leg and she hummed along to the beat of the song playing through the radio. She picked at her nails and told herself she really needed to trim them and put a fresh coat of polish on them this weekend. 

The door suddenly opened, disrupting the ideal climate inside the cabin of the car with a blast of warm air. Valentina basically leapt into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind her before throwing herself onto Juliana. Her arms wrapped tightly around Juliana’s neck, her body leaning over the large center console in an effort to get as close to Juliana as possible. 

“Val.” Juliana breathed, the body against her warm and inviting.

“Hey, babe.” Valentina mumbled into Juliana’s hair before pressing a light kiss against her temple. 

Juliana’s hands pressed into Valentina’s back as she smiled into her neck. 

“Babe?” Juliana questioned lightheartedly, not so secretly thrilled with the outward display of affection.

Valentina stilled in the embrace. 

“Oh. Um. It just came out. Sorry.”

“Hey, no. It’s nice. I’ve never really thought pet names were so cute before I heard it coming from you. It’s okay.” Juliana whispered before planting a soft kiss beneath Valentina’s ear. “I liked it.”

Valentina pulled back and sat in the seat, her hands finding Juliana’s. Wild stray hairs were slipping out of the high pony-tail Valentina was sporting, the lipstick she reapplied at lunch time had worn off, her white button-up top had creased slightly. Even at the end of a hard days work, she looked absolutely radiant, her blue eyes shining. 

“Are you sure?”

“Val, I’m sure. You can call me whatever you like.”

“Whatever I like?” 

Juliana narrowed her eyes at the quirk of Valentina’s eyebrow. 

“You know what I mean.” 

Valentina laughed through her nose as she tilted her head, observing Juliana with an easy blue gaze. 

“This is my favorite part of the day, you know?” Valentina spoke softly, her hands playing carefully with Juliana’s between them. “Seeing you again. Being with you.”

“Yeah?”

Valentina nodded as she bit the inside of her cheek. She shifted once more to lean closer to Juliana. 

“Me too.” Juliana murmured, the heat rising in her chest at the quiet admission. 

“I’ve missed you.” Valentina uttered, placing a quick kiss on Juliana’s lips.

Juliana reached forward and dragged her nails against Valentina’s scalp, brushing a few errant hairs off her face as she went. 

“I missed you too.” Juliana said with complete sincerity. 

They smiled at one another, completely unguarded, as they let themselves absorb the presence of the other. Juliana felt extremely lucky that Valentina was sat here, right in front of her, with a look of utter adoration on her face, her fingers entwined with hers, her words sending goose bumps rippling across her warm skin. She couldn’t quite fathom the possibility of Valentina reciprocating the seemingly endless bourgeoning feelings Juliana was experiencing as they continued to spend more time together. 

“I like having you pick me up every afternoon. It’s nice.” Valentina said as she stifled a yawn and sat back in her seat, her head resting with a thump against the leather. Her slender fingers ran through her hair as she whipped it over the top of the headrest.

“How was your first week? Are you tired?” 

Valentina turned her head to look at Juliana. She twitched her lips as she considered her words, narrowing her eyes at Juliana before speaking. 

“I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I kind of liked it. Today I finally got to shadow some senior journalists, and it was really eye-opening, to see what they do every day.” She changed her focus to their joined hands in an effort to avoid eye contact. “Today was the first day that I thought maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, working for the company.”

“That’s so great, Val. I’m so proud of you.” 

Valentina lifted her chin as her eyes landed back on Juliana’s face. “Really?”

Juliana’s chest constricted at the vulnerability radiating off the blue-eyed girl. She realized, in that moment, with that one word, just how desperately Valentina wanted to be noticed. She wanted to do the right thing, to make other people happy. Her willingness to please others, to behave as others desired, was an innate feature that Juliana had immediately noticed, a trait Juliana did not possess herself. But this meant that Valentina also craved approval, constantly seeking the smallest of hints that she was on the right track, that she was doing the right thing. She spent her whole life doing things to please others. 

She dated Lucho because they were friends, in the same social circle, and because her sister told her he would be perfect boyfriend material. Every time she ventured out with her ‘friends’, she paid for an endless amount of drinks, club entry and whatever else the crowd voiced was required for a good time. She began a university course she had no real passion for, and was now spending her summer break working for the family company because her father wanted her to. Not to mention the expectations placed on her to perform a certain way in public, to attend charity events and fundraisers under the Carvajal name. Living under constant media scrutiny and the invisible weight of being the youngest daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Mexico would eventually make anyone mad. It was no wonder Valentina was so desperate for someone to be proud of her. 

All of this considered, Juliana was struck with a strong yearning to be the one to tell Valentina, as often as possible, how amazing she was. She wanted to be the one Valentina could be vulnerable with, that she could trust and rely on. She wanted to be the one to tell Valentina how proud she was of her whenever she was willing to hear it. With absolute certainty, she wanted to be that person for Valentina. It wasn’t something she had ever felt before. 

Instead of voicing her internal monologue to the blue-eyed girl watching her nervously, she offered her an honest smile and a nod.

“Of course I am, Val. I’m so glad you enjoyed your first week. And to show you just how proud and happy I am for you, I got you these.” 

Juliana reached behind the passenger seat and pulled out a bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers. She felt her pulse increase as the nerves kicked in. Buying flowers for someone she liked wasn’t something she had ever done before, but there was something about Valentina that made Juliana want to do nice things, to show her with actions how much she meant to her. But she would be lying if she told herself she wasn’t nervous about Valentina’s reaction to the gesture. 

Valentina’s mouth dropped open as Juliana passed them timidly to her. 

Valentina took them silently, her eyes widening as she inspected the flowers, turning the brown paper wrapping in her hands to twirl the bouquet. She closed her eyes as she bent her neck, her nose almost touching the petals as she breathed in the sweet scent of fresh flowers. 

“I hope it’s okay, you know, that I got them for you. I hope you like them. It’s okay if you don’t. Like them, I mean. I don’t really know what flowers you like but these ones made me smile when I saw them, because they were so bright. They kind of reminded me of you, actually. I don’t know. That probably sounds silly. But you make me happy and whenever I see sunflowers I feel happy too so I thought that made sense. Does that make sense?” Juliana knew she was rambling but she couldn’t stop herself. She was self-conscious, anxious that perhaps Valentina hated sunflowers, or the gesture in general. She tried to fill the silence with sound, partially unaware of the words tumbling from her lips. 

Finally, Valentina opened her eyes and looked at Juliana. There was a vague hint of unshed tears rimming her eyes, the blue of her iris’s transformed from its regular deep blue to the lightest shade of aqua. 

“They’re beautiful.” Valentina sniffed and blinked a few times. She looked back down to her flowers as a laugh erupted from her chest, her shoulders shaking as the light titter made Juliana’s heart beat harder in her chest. 

Valentina grasped the bouquet with one hand and turned back to Juliana, a wide smile on her face. Her free hand stoked Juliana’s cheek as she moved closer. 

“Thank you, Juls.” She whispered before taking Juliana’s lips between her own. 

Juliana closed her eyes and let herself be kissed by Valentina. Their lips moved softly, slowly, sensuously against one another, Valentina setting the agonizingly unhurried pace. Valentina’s tongue swiped tenderly against Juliana’s as their kiss deepened. Juliana could think of nothing but how blissful she felt, holding on tight as every unspoken emotion was transferred through their tender caress of one another. 

Valentina’s hand moved to under Juliana’s chin as she eventually pulled back, her lips wet but still uplifted in a shy smile. She nuzzled their noses together before moving away to see each other more clearly.

“Will I see you this weekend?” Valentina asked quietly, their faces still close. 

“I’m free if you are.” Juliana mumbled, her hands still shaking slightly from the intensity of their kiss. 

“I’m always free for you.” Valentina replied with a wink. 

~

“I’ll get it.” Juliana called as she got up from the couch and slid her phone into the back pocket of her jean shorts. 

Her heart rate picked up a little at the prospect of Valentina being the person on the other side of the door. Valentina had a habit of surprising her, but Juliana didn’t think she’d quite worked up the courage to knock on her door on a Saturday afternoon just yet. Valentina was supposed to be at a fundraising event with her family tonight anyway, so she knew the chances of it being the person she most wanted were slim. 

She bit her lip as she pressed her eye up against the peephole, her smile easing into one of suspicion. 

“Ma.” Juliana called out over her shoulder as she slid the gold chain lock out of its track and opened the door. 

“Juliana. Hi.” Alex beamed as he looked up from the flowers held in a vice like grip in his hands. 

“Hi, Alex. What are you doing here?” Juliana asked as she crossed her arms and leant against the doorframe. 

“Oh, well.” He stumbled. He cleared his throat and his eyes flicked behind her shoulder. 

Juliana turned as Lupe emerged from behind her. 

“Alex. How are you? It’s lovely to see you.” Lupe exclaimed with more enthusiasm than usual. She moved forward and threw her arms around Alex, drawing him into an overzealous hug. Alex returned the embrace with one arm, his flowers held out by his side to prevent them from also being crushed. 

“Hi, Lupe. I’m great thank you. And yourself?” Alex politely replied as Lupe pulled away. 

“Great, thanks. You look very handsome. Doesn’t he, Juli?” Lupe nudged Juliana with her elbow as she eyed the young man in front of her. 

Juliana laughed nervously at her mother’s antics, before briefly taking in Alex’s appearance. 

His thick brown hair had been brushed back, a few stray curls hanging across his forehead. A pair of black sunglasses sat atop his head, pushing gently at his ears. He wore a dull red button up shirt and dark casual shorts, a new pair of black and white Converse sneakers on his large feet. As he smiled, a generous dimple appeared to the left of his lips. Juliana nodded in agreement as she folded her arms back across her chest. 

“Sure.” Juliana answered with a chuckle, not knowing quite what was going on. 

Alex licked his lips and shifted nervously on his feet. He cleared his throat as his eyes bounced between the two women. 

“Well, I am in the middle of a good book so I’ll leave you to it.” Lupe said jovially. 

Juliana’s eyes widened at her mother as she winked at her and walked back in the direction she had come. 

“What? Ma?” Juliana called after her, not entirely sure what she was supposed to do with the boy standing at their front door. 

“Juliana. These are for you.” 

Her attention shifted back to the boy, his arms reaching towards her as he held out the clumsy arrangement of colorful flowers. 

“I picked them myself.” He said with a bashful shrug of his shoulders, his eyes not quite able to meet Juliana’s. 

Juliana took them carefully from his grip and sniffed them. She took a moment to appreciate the thoughtfulness apparent in the gift. 

“Thank you.” She said slowly, watching as Alex shoved his hands in his pockets. 

She tilted her head as it dawned on her that maybe her mother was involved in this. She clicked her tongue as she realized what Alex’s intentions most likely were, and who the mastermind behind all this most likely was. This was a conversation she didn’t want to have with Lupe nearby to eavesdrop. 

“Do you want to go up to the roof and talk?” 

Alex finally relaxed a little, the tension in his brows dissipating as his brown eyes met her own. 

“Yeah, sure. That sounds nice.”

“Great.” Juliana smiled as she closed the door behind her and made her way to the white door half way down the hallway. She opened it and stepped through, holding the door open for Alex. They climbed the small set of stairs in silence. Juliana pushed open the second door and stepped out onto the rooftop terrace. 

“Oh, wow.” Alex uttered as he approached the railing. “It’s really pretty up here.” 

Juliana placed the small bouquet on an uneven wooden table and stood beside the boy. Old, white paint was beginning to flake off the railing due to years in the harsh Mexican sun. Her hands brushed some of it away as she held on, the steel warm to the touch. The sun was low in the sky, a dusting of pinks and oranges illuminated the sky, reflecting off the windows surrounding them. 

The apartment building Juliana and Lupe lived in was one of the tallest in the area, providing the rooftop terrace with decent views of the surrounding area. A nearby park was noticeable due to its splash of color amid a sea of greys and whites, the sound of cars honking below them blending in with the general sounds of a busy city. 

“It’s not much, but there are certainly worse places to be.” Juliana commented, her mind flicking back to the small trailer of her past. This view would beat that dusty bowl any day of the week.

The pair stood in silence for a moment as they looked out over the buildings. Juliana took in a deep breath and wondered briefly what Valentina was doing right now. 

“You must be wondering why I’ve shown up out of the blue.” 

Juliana turned her head and smiled at Alex. 

“I think I have a clue. Did Lupe have anything to do with this?” 

Alex snorted and rubbed his hand over his face. “She may have given me your address and told me you’d be home this afternoon.” He admitted. 

“Ah, Lupe.” Juliana shook her head and kicked her feet mindlessly against the concrete ledge. “I think she worries about me, though I don’t know why. I’m sorry she dragged you into this.” Juliana explained lightheartedly. 

Alex turned to face her. His dimple was obvious as he flashed her a small smile. “I’ll be honest, it didn’t take much convincing.”

Juliana ran a hand through her hair as she worked to find the words to tell Alex that she wasn’t interested. She didn’t want to hurt the boys’ feelings, but she didn’t want to lie. 

“Look, Juliana.” Alex beat her to it. “There’s absolutely no pressure here. You can say no and I won’t be hurt or offended. But I would really love to take you out for dinner one night.” 

Juliana looked at the boy standing beside her. If her circumstances were different, she would definitely consider the offer. There was no denying that he was good looking, and from what Juliana could tell, he seemed like a nice guy. But she was confident in her feelings, fully aware that there was no-one else on this earth Juliana wanted to be with than Valentina. 

She reached out and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. 

“I’m really flattered, Alex. I am. And thank you for asking me. But I’m actually seeing someone.” 

It felt strange, to say those words. Even though she hadn’t defined anything with Valentina, to her, it was true. 

To his credit, Alex took the news well. The smile stuck on his face as he nodded his head. 

“No, that’s fine. I was surprised when your mother said you were single. I thought you were too beautiful for no-one to have snapped you up yet.” 

Juliana laughed. She laughed at the whole bizarre situation she currently found herself in. She laughed at the fact that her mother sought out a random boy at a café to ask her out. She laughed at the fact that she just had to let this poor boy down. She was ecstatic that she finally said the words out loud, spoken her truth into existence, admitting something that she had been feeling for some time; that she was actually not interested in pursuing anything with anyone else. But most of all, she was a little speechless at Alex’s words and his surprisingly positive reaction. 

“Well, I’m glad you think so. And I’m sorry again about Lupe. She clearly doesn’t know.” 

“That’s okay, I won’t say anything.” He said as he motioned with a cross over his chest.

Juliana continued to smile at the boy. He had a certain lightness about him that made Juliana relax. His smile was infectious, and Juliana found herself hoping he wouldn’t leave just yet. 

“Maybe we can be friends, though?” 

Alex seemed to say what Juliana was thinking. 

“I’d really like that.” She replied. “In fact, I have a few beers in the fridge downstairs. Are you interested in sticking around? We can sit out here and watch the world go by if you’re interested?”

Alex nodded his head eagerly, his mop of brown hair bouncing as he moved. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

~

“What do you mean you ran off? What did your friend do?” Juliana pushed through her laughter. 

A fresh cold beer sat in her hand, her third of the evening. Her feet were propped up on the ledge of the building, the rest of her body relaxed into a large straw chair. Alex pushed the hair out of his face and swallowed another mouthful of beer before he continued his story. 

“He refused to talk to us for a week, but he eventually got over it! And we had to apologize to our History teacher. It wasn’t so bad. It makes for a great story now.” 

As their laughter subsided, the pair sat in comfortable silence as they watched the sky slowly change from a deep orange to a light blue, the sun setting slowly beyond the horizon. It brought some relief from the heat of the day.

“So how long have you been seeing this guy for?” 

Juliana huffed out another laugh as she moved into a more comfortable position in her chair. She was feeling a little buzzed from the beer, and was happily enjoying her time with Alex. He was quite charismatic as he relaxed, his natural story telling ability and friendly disposition a nice change of scenery for Juliana. She was used to Lupe’s company, or Valentina’s. Neither were bad, far from it, but she hadn’t made any real friends outside of Valentina since moving to Mexico City. There was George, but they hadn’t been in contact with one another in months. Having another person her age to talk to, share stories with, relax around, was refreshing. She was enjoying his company more than she expected. 

“It’s pretty new. About a month.” She confided, taking another swig from her beer. 

She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol swimming in her system, the way Alex seemed to emanate authenticity, or the fact that she hadn’t said it out loud yet, but she felt the urge to be honest with him. It could be the wrong thing to do, but in that moment, she didn’t want to hold it in. She didn’t want hide away from it. 

“And I never said anything about it being a guy.” She said with a smirk. 

Alex choked on his beer. 

Juliana cackled as she watched the boy wipe the liquid from his chin, coughing and spluttering as he sat forward in his chair. 

He looked at her with complete admiration and surprise.

“You’re dating a girl?” The bright smile unmistakable on his lips. 

“Well, I wouldn’t call it dating. Not yet. But I like a girl.” Juliana said with a dismissive shake of her shoulders.

“Why wouldn’t you call it dating?” Alex asked as he looped his sunglasses into the top button of his shirt.

“I guess we’re just taking it slow. And it’s a little complicated.”

“Right.” Alex nodded his head slowly as he took in the news. “Well I feel like an idiot for trying to ask you out now.” He laughed as he poked playfully at Juliana’s knee. 

“Don’t. She’s the first girl I’ve ever been interested in.” Juliana admitted, the smile still wide on her face. She was thrilled that her judgment on Alex was right. His reaction was positive and Juliana felt a small weight lift from her shoulders. Maybe if Alex took it this way, others might also be open to the idea. 

“Is the girl thing the reason why you haven’t told Lupe?” Alex asked as he sat back in his seat, the initial shock of Juliana’s confession wearing off.

“It is part of the reason why I haven’t told her yet. But it’s more due to the fact that nothing is official yet. I think we’re just enjoying getting to know one another first, before we tell anyone else.”

Alex hummed. “Makes sense.”

“I think I’m a little worried about how everyone will react, or if it will change the dynamics between us. I don’t want anything to ruin what we’ve already started to build between us, and I’m afraid that what people will think or say might come between us.”

“I know what you mean. I have a cousin who came out just over a year ago. Half the family disowned him. It was awful. But I admire the way he stayed true to himself through it all. If people can’t accept the important people in their life for the way they love, then they don’t deserve to be in their life at all.” 

“I’ll cheers to that.” Juliana said as she held out her bottle to Alex. 

They clinked glasses and smiled at one another before tipping the liquid down their throats. 

“So, have you been with boys before?” 

“Yeah.” Juliana licked her lips, the cool beer somehow tasting better than ever. “Only two. But what I feel for this girl has completely blindsided me.”

“How so?”

Juliana took in a deep breath and picked at the label on her bottle. It was beginning to peel away, the condensation running down the glass as it adjusted to the warmth of her hand and heat of the air. 

“I’ve never felt anything like it. She consumes my every thought. I want to be near her all the time. She makes everything seem lighter, makes me want to be better. And the way she looks at me.” Juliana looked up at Alex, a stupid smile on his face. “It takes my breath away.”

Alex scratched at the light stubble on his chin, his teeth white against the dark of his skin as he chuckled lightly.

“Wow, Juliana. I never stood a chance. You have got it bad.” 

Juliana rolled her eyes playfully. She removed her feet from the ledge and tucked them underneath her legs. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I don’t have a lot of experience in this kind of thing. But it sounds to me like you might be in love.” He said with an arched eyebrow. 

A deep rasping laugh erupted from his chest as he watched Juliana’s expression drop. 

Her hand covered her mouth as she processed what that might mean. She had no benchmark on this, never having seen it in real life. Her parents relationship was strained at the best of times. She vowed to herself at a young age to never get herself in a situation like Lupe. The idea of being young, pregnant and in a relationship with a man who treated her like crap was the opposite of what Juliana wanted for herself. 

Eventually, she was sure that the idea of being in love was something reserved for privileged people, or for stories in books and movies. Juliana dismissed the idea of that kind of love being a part of her own life years ago. How could she be in love if she hadn’t done anything to deserve it? How could she be in love if she didn’t even know what it really meant?

But she thought of Valentina. She thought of the way her stomach flips whenever she looks at her. She thought of the way her heart races when they kiss. She thought of the care and tenderness Valentina takes around her. She thought of all the words whispered, all the looks given, all the actions pursued that pointed to the possibility that this was love. 

_Love._

It made sense. 

She gulped down the last of her beer and turned to her new friend. 

“Want another?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is turning into a monster. Yet another chapter i'm just throwing out there because I don't know what else to do!  
> Thank you for all the supportive comments on the last chap. Thanks for sticking with me while I try to work this all out.   
> I have a few ideas for where this might lead... whether or not these come to fruition is another thing.   
> Hope you enjoyed this one, anyway.


	14. Sunshine

Juliana flicked the car headlights onto high beam, thankful for the bright white light washing over the dirt road and overgrown shrubbery along the side of the obscure track. 

“Val, are you sure this car can fit up this road?” Juliana asked warily.

Her chin was almost resting on the steering wheel as she attempted to keep a close eye on the lane in front. She was having a hard time dodging all the potholes, but she did her best to steer clear of them when the narrow road allowed. The car crept up the bumpy trail slowly as Juliana focused intently on getting them to their destination safely. 

Valentina just giggled. “Just keep going, babe. We’re not far.” 

Juliana peered across at her passenger quickly. Valentina was sitting relaxed in her seat, a smirk on her lips, her long legs stretched out below her with her ankles crossed. She had plastic containers full of sushi they’d just picked up piled high on her lap, one hand resting on them so they wouldn’t topple over with the drastic movements of the vehicle.

“Are you bringing me up here to kill me?” Juliana deadpanned as she avoided yet another hole in the road. 

“If I wanted to kill you, surely I would have found an opportunity to do so by now.” Valentina quipped.

Juliana hummed in response. 

As Juliana swung the wheel around to the left, following the uneven track, the dense bush and thickets quickly thinned out, eventually leading to a large field. 

“Stop just by the tree over there.” Valentina pointed to a lone tree to the left of the clearing. 

Juliana did as she was told, directing the large vehicle over the blanket of grass, pulling to a stop just beneath the tree. She switched the lights to its regular setting and moved the gear stick into park. She yanked at the park break and turned to Valentina. 

A flash of teeth and Valentina disappeared out of the car, containers and all. 

Juliana unbuckled her own seat belt and made her way to join Valentina at the front of the car. She set the containers down carefully on the grass and made her way to the back of the vehicle, rummaging around in the trunk. 

“Val?”

“Hang on.” Valentina called. “Ah, here it is.” 

Valentina reappeared with a small box containing roughly a dozen small candles and a lighter. She thrust them at Juliana, who automatically held out her hands, catching the glass jars with an ease that surprised them both. Valentina took her time to randomly select each candle and light them, one by one. She bent over and placed them strategically around the area, some on the grass, others jammed between the windshield and hood of the car. All Juliana could do was stand, mouth agape and hypnotized, as Valentina organized herself. 

Once all the candles were lit, Valentina gestured for Juliana to sit, pointing to the front of the vehicle. 

“Up you hop.” Valentina requested, the mirth in her tone obvious. 

Juliana snorted. 

“I’m not sitting on the car, Val. C’mon. You know that goes against my responsibilities on the job. I’m supposed to take care of the vehicle, not sit on it and bend the metal.”

That earned her a dramatic eye roll. 

“Juls, don’t make me make you.” She stepped towards Juliana, her hands outstretched, fingers twitching.

Juliana shook her head and took a step back, the smile evidence enough that she understood the threat. Valentina had recently discovered how ticklish Juliana could be, if she found the right spot just below her ribs. 

“Don’t, Val. You know I hate that.” 

Valentina flashed another wicked grin. “You know I will, babe. Go on. Sit up there and I’ll pass you the food.”

Juliana clicked her tongue as she gave in. “Fine. But if we ruin the hood, I’m blaming you.”

She turned and slid herself onto the front of the car, her feet swinging over the edge. 

“And how would you explain all this to your employer, Juls?” Valentina asked as her eyes danced to the candles and back. 

“Whatever.” Juliana whispered lightheartedly as Valentina passed her the containers and chopsticks. 

“Good girl.” Valentina replied as she reached on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to Juliana’s lips. 

Instead of joining Juliana, Valentina walked to the drivers’ side and pulled the keys out of the car. The extinguished headlights plunged the girls into near darkness. 

The candles were now the only real source of light, excluding the half crescent moon high in the sky and the blinking lights of the city below them. Juliana’s mouth dropped open as she finally took in the view before them. 

The climb up that random dirt track had definitely been worth it. This was a part of the city Juliana had never ventured to. After they had picked up their dinner, Valentina had directed Juliana past the Carvajal residence and up a large hill some kilometers away. 

Juliana felt the metal below her dip slightly as Valentina made herself comfortable beside her. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight before her. 

The secluded spot had perfect views of the expanse of the city, the vast stretch of lights the only sign of people existing down there. Way up here, there were no city sounds, no screech of tires, no cars honking, no constant chatter of voices. It was completely peaceful, the only sound being the slight rustle of leaves, the sway of the grass in the breeze and the steady breathing of the girl sitting patiently beside her. 

“It’s pretty great, right?” Valentina said softly, breaking Juliana’s trance. 

“How’d you find this place?” 

“Eva brought Guille and myself here about a year after mom died. She stole one of the cars and took us on a little camping trip up here. We lay underneath the stars and laughed and cried and joked and told scary stories. We lit a fire and toasted marshmallows. I think I OD’d on sugar that night. I fell asleep wedged between them, secure and safe between my siblings. It was one of the fondest memories from my childhood.” Valentina explained contemplatively. 

Juliana placed her free hand carefully over Valentina’s. 

“Now, I come up here to think sometimes. I find myself here when I need a break, or when I just need to breath. It’s good to just get away from it all sometimes, you know?”

Juliana nodded slowly. “Yeah.” 

Valentina was sat on the edge of the car, next to Juliana. Her eyes were watching the glinting lights in the distance. Her hands were gripping the hood of the car, her fingers curled around the edge of the cool metal. Her arms were straight as her body leaned over her knees, her legs swinging freely below them. Juliana admired her profile, mostly silhouetted due to the lack of light. Even in darkness, Juliana found her to be fascinating, spellbinding. 

“I would have loved to have met her. I bet she was amazing.” Juliana whispered. 

Valentina scrunched up her face and turned her head. They watched one another for a moment, their gazes soft and tender. 

“I think you two would have got along really well.” 

Juliana nodded once in agreeance, her heart tugging at the shimmer of unshed tears welling in Valentina’s eyes. Her hand reached out and lightly brushed Valentina’s cheek. It was meant to be comforting, a signal to let Valentina know that she would sit on the hood of that car all night if she wanted to. Valentina leaned gently into the touch before wiping at her eyes and clearing her throat. 

“Enough of that, though. We have a smorgasbord of food to eat.” 

She plucked the paper wrappings on top of the boxes in Juliana’s lap and slipped out two sets of disposable chopsticks. She snapped them in two and passed one set to Juliana. 

“Your utensils for this evening.” She winked as Juliana took the chopsticks with a slight frown. 

Valentina busied herself with setting the containers down between them, gasping at how each different dish looked as delectable as the next, her mouth basically salivating. Juliana, however, couldn’t take her eyes off the two pieces of flimsy wood in her hand. 

She tried to hold the chopsticks in a variety of ways to no success, often only just catching them before tumbling to the ground as they slipped clumsily from her grip. 

Finally, she managed a hold that might work. She clicked the chopsticks together slowly, a look of triumph spreading across her face.

She turned to show Valentina, but stopped herself as she found the blue-eyed girl watching her. 

“What?” She asked with a smirk on her face. 

“You stick your tongue out when you’re concentrating. Did you know that?” Valentina asked through a smile. 

Juliana rolled her eyes. 

“It’s cute.” Valentina continued. “But here, let me help you.”

She reached over and maneuvered Juliana’s fingers around the chopsticks. Once she was happy with the placement, she held her own chopsticks out in front. 

“See? Like this. Then you use your index finger and thumb to move the top chopstick, while the bottom one stays still.” 

With that, Valentina expertly reached into the first container and picked up a fresh piece of sushi, wiggling her eyebrows at Juliana before placing it in her mouth. 

“Oh my God, it’s so good.” She mumbled around her food. “You have to try it.”

Juliana clicked her chopsticks once more for good luck before selecting the roll of rice and seaweed she most desired. She carefully pinched the piece of sushi between the sticks and gently lifted it into the air, her eyes wide as she focused all her attention on not dropping her food. 

She made it to her mouth without a hitch, an excited squeal from Valentina praising her as she closed her lips around the roll. 

“Like a pro!” Valentina cheered. 

As the pair continued to enjoy their meal, their conversation flowed freely. They talked about the events of their separate days, giggled at Valentina’s reenactment of a fellow intern tripping over and spilling a huge stack of papers, and groaned at how insanely good each piece of sushi tasted. 

As Juliana was carefully lifting another piece of sushi to her mouth, Valentina asked her a question. 

“If you could go on any holiday, anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“I wouldn’t be going far, Val. I don’t have income to spend on a holiday.” 

“It’s a hypothetical, Juls. Humor me.” 

“Okay.” Juliana took in a deep breath, considering where she would go on a dream holiday. “I think I’d like to go to the beach. I’ve never seen the ocean. I’d love to just lie on the sand, soak in the sun, dive into blue water. Just relax and not worry about real life for a while.” 

Valentina just gazed at her, face neutral except for the hint of something Juliana couldn’t quite recognize in the corner of her eyes. 

“What?” Juliana asked with a chuckle, amused but also wary of Valentina’s silence. 

Valentina chewed on the inside of her cheek. She placed her chopsticks into an empty container and swung her legs up, her heels resting against the bumper. She turned towards Juliana and wrapped her arms around her long legs.

“I just –“ Valentina huffed out a breath. “Sometimes I forget we come from totally different worlds. I’ve just felt so connected with you from the start that it blows my mind that we grew up so differently.”

Juliana shrugged her shoulders and looked away, out towards the city below. 

“Is it a problem for you?”

“No. God, no. I mean –“

“Because if my situation isn’t – I mean, we can stop this, if that’s what you want. I never really felt worthy enough to be in your world anyway. I’m not –“

“Juls. Juls, stop. Please.” Valentina interrupted Juliana’s spiralling with a hand on her knee and a firm voice. “Look at me.”

Juliana swallowed as she turned her head and watched as Valentina leaned forward, her brows etched in worry. 

She hadn’t ever voiced her concerns about her lack of wealth or status and how that may impact on their relationship, or whatever this was between them. They hadn’t spoken about the future yet, nor had they even discussed whether this was something they both wanted to pursue in the open. They had just tip-toed around the topic, content with hiding themselves from the world. Juliana knew people could be harsh, so she had done her best to avoid the possibility of ending things if they somehow got caught, or found the courage to tell their friends and family. She knew for Valentina, the repercussions would be much more far-reaching and long-lasting. 

Juliana wasn’t an idiot. She knew what she was - a poor girl from Texas who happened to swindle a job for the Carvajal’s by chance. A high-school diploma the only form of education to her name, living in a small apartment with her mother who also worked hard to ensure they could live comfortably. In the end, she was nothing, and she knew a Carvajal would always be a something. 

“That’s not what I meant. At all. I don’t care about my wealth, who my family are, anything. They are all whatever.” She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You are the only one, minus a couple of family members, who has treated me with respect and dignity, as an equal rather than something to take advantage of, to manipulate.” Valentina’s hand moved to massage Juliana’s neck, slowly pulling them closer. “If anything, I’m not worthy of you.”

Juliana scoffed, her lips pressing into a pout. “Not possible. You’re the ‘Carvajal Princess’, known in all of Mexico, the youngest -.”

“And none of that matters to me. You know that, right?” Valentina interjected again, her piercing gaze enough to convince Juliana she was speaking the truth. 

“Yeah, Val. I know.” Juliana mumbled. 

“Good.” Valentina breathed as her gaze softened. 

Juliana closed her eyes as Valentina leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss against her lips. They relaxed into the kiss, their lips moving against each others with a practiced ease and with no purpose other than to feel the other. Once Valentina pulled back, Juliana couldn’t help but bite her lip to suppress the silly smile she knew would shine through otherwise. 

Valentina arched her eyebrow as her eyes flicked down to her lips. Juliana knew full well what it did to Valentina, when her teeth gently gnawed into her lips. Before Valentina could retort, Juliana spoke. 

“Where would your dream holiday be?”

“On a beach, lying next to you.” Valentina replied without missing a beat. 

Juliana narrowed her eyes at Valentina who was still only inches away. 

“Seriously, Val. Anywhere in the world. Where would you go?”

Valentina zeroed in her gaze and gave her most thoughtful look. “The idea of happiness for me is wherever you are. So, if you are on a beach somewhere, that’s where I want to be too.”

Juliana’s eyes bounced around Valentina face, searching for an inkling of teasing, of a joke. But all she found was sincerity. Her smile slowly faded, her heart racing in her chest. It was on the tip of her tongue, the words she wanted to say. But she just couldn’t bring herself to take the leap. It felt heavy on her chest, her unspoken words, but she held onto them for another time. Instead, she asked for confirmation, just to be sure. 

“Really?” She breathed. 

“Really really.” Valentina replied before pressing her lips to Juliana’s once more. 

~

**V:** _I’ll be there in 20 and our reservation is in 30 minutes so be ready!_

**V:** _I can’t wait to see you ;)_

**J:** _I’ll be ready. See you soon xo_

Juliana smiled as she locked her phone and sat it down against the bathroom vanity. She stared at her reflection in the mirror before applying her mascara. She slid the black stick back into the bottle and threw it into the drawer it came from as she hummed along absentmindedly to the tune playing from her Spotify playlist. She rummaged around her small woven bag and found her lipstick, smacking her lips as the dull red sunk into her skin. Her fingers mussed up her hair as she smiled to herself and swayed her hips to the beat of the song.

She was wearing a dress she had made herself, only just finishing it in time for tonight. Valentina had asked her to dinner in advance, leaving enough time for Juliana to prepare for what may or may not be a date. She had gone out and bought the black fabric, initially taken by the silky texture and slight shimmer to the material. The dress had sleeves, but was cut high above her knee. Juliana wasn’t sure about the length, wary it was too short, but Lupe had assured her time and again that it was suitable for a nice dinner with her friend. 

Juliana hadn’t told Valentina, but this particular Friday night was her birthday. It was her day off, so she was initially downtrodden when she learned that she wouldn’t see Valentina on her birthday, whether the blue-eyed girl knew it or not. But the invitation to a quiet dinner was enthusiastically accepted. 

Valentina had raced home to get ready after a long week of working at the office, and Juliana was appreciative of the effort. She knew Valentina was most likely exhausted from a busy week at work, but she was giddy at the thought of Valentina now on her way to pick Juliana up. They found themselves in a very different situation to what they were used to.

Lupe had made plans to catch up with some friends from work so Juliana was alone in the apartment. She danced around the space as she got ready, excited for the night ahead. Just as she sprayed some of her favorite perfume on her neck and wrists, there was a knock on the door. She wouldn’t admit it to Valentina, but she let out a tiny excited squeal before she picked up her bag, slinging it hastily across her shoulder. She practically ran to the door, skidding to a halt as she grasped the cool metal of the handle. She almost swung it off its hinges when thrusting it open in anticipation.

Her eyebrows shot up as she observed Valentina standing before her, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a string of colorful balloons in the other. 

“Happy Birthday!!” Valentina bounced on her feet with excitement, an enormous smile on her face. 

Juliana was stunned into silence. She stood with her hand still grasping the edge of the wood door, her eyes bouncing between the objects in Valentina’s hands and the look of absolute glee on her face. 

“You didn’t actually think you’d get away with me not celebrating your birthday, did you?” Valentina asked as she raised her brow. 

“How did you know?” Juliana finally found her voice. 

“You work for my family.” Valentina brushed past her as she walked forward into the apartment, ignoring Juliana’s lack of invitation. She placed the flowers on the bench and tied the balloons to a chair as Juliana’s brain eventually kicked in. She closed the door as Valentina continued. “Javier mentioned it last week. At first, I was a little annoyed at myself for not checking first but I was grateful for his little hint. I was waiting for you to mention it but clearly, that didn’t happen.” 

Juliana laughed breathily, completely taken aback by the thoughtfulness of the girl standing in her apartment.

“Tonight will be great, don’t worry. It’s just dinner.” Valentina smiled at Juliana’s lack of response. 

“You look very dressed up for just dinner.” Juliana retorted as her eyes raked over Valentina’s form. 

She was wearing a maroon dress with gorgeous embroidered lace and a high neckline. Juliana was no longer nervous about the length of her own dress as she slowly took in the expanse of leg Valentina had on show. The garment had a cut-out panel across the midriff, exposing an enticing sliver of Valentina’s flat stomach and milky skin. She paired the stunning dress with large gold hoop earrings, a smack of lipstick, and strappy nude heels. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, her face framed by long tendrils of chestnut hair. She was absolutely stunning.

“I’m confused. Are you complimenting me?” Valentina asked playfully. 

“Yes, Val. You look beautiful.” 

Valentina bit her lip as she took her time then surveying Juliana’s body, her eyes hungry as they swept over her features. Juliana could feel a light surge of heat creep up her neck under Valentina’s intense gaze. 

“And you are 100 times more beautiful than that.” Valentina remarked softly as her eyes locked again with Juliana’s. 

“Not possible.” Juliana countered immediately, deflecting the attention.

They gazed at one another for a moment before Valenitna puffed out her cheeks and looked down.

“I have something…” She trailed off.

Juliana stepped forwards as Valentina’s hands pulled at the small silver handbag sitting against her hip. She swung it in front of her and unclipped it, her hand diving in before pulling out a small square package, wrapped in simple brown paper and tied up with a red ribbon. 

Juliana stopped one length away from Valentina as the blue-eyed girl slowly held out the package, her arm extended out towards her. 

“I wasn’t sure if I should go extravagant or not. I had so many idea’s, but I tried to think of your reaction to each one.” Valentina explained as the gift lingered between them. Juliana couldn’t stop staring at the small package. “I decided upon this one because I think it’s most suited to you, for a myriad of reasons. Mostly because I don’t think you’ll kick my ass with this one.” 

Valentina giggled uncertainly. It caused Juliana’s attention to shift back to her. Valentina was watching her through curious eyes, the slight tremble giving her nervousness away. Seeing Valentina like this, slightly unsure of herself, would always stir something inside Juliana. 

“Happy birthday, Juls.” She whispered.

Juliana’s hands wrapped around the package and Valentina let go. 

“Thank you.” Juliana mumbled as her fingers gripped the gift, the brown paper rough under her fingertips. 

“Are you going to open it?” Valentina asked as she leant back on the edge of the kitchen bench, her arms crossed over her body. 

“Do you want me to?”

Valentina tilted her head at Juliana’s question. 

The truth was, she didn’t really know what to do. She wasn’t about to admit it to Valentina, but Juliana didn’t often receive gifts from others. Even growing up, birthday presents were few and far between. Juliana wasn’t sure if it was because they never had any money, or because Chino despised celebrating anything good. Maybe it was both. 

For a few years when she was much younger, Juliana would wake up to Lupe’s face smiling at her in the early morning light, a coloring book and brand new pencils presented to her with a whispered “Happy birthday, Juli” and a kiss on the forehead. As she got older, she found a brand new pair of sneakers tucked just under the couch, or an expensive sketch-pad with graphite pencils slipped underneath her pillow. But Lupe would also press her index finger to her lips when Juliana thanked her, reminding Juliana it was always their little secret. She treasured those items with her whole heart, and kept them in a special place in fear that Chino might take them away. And the years that Juliana got nothing, Lupe would apologize through a sad smile. But Juliana understood that in her family, birthdays and gifts were not a priority. She didn’t dwell on it, knowing it would do more harm than good.

So as Valentina stood before her, the precious gift tight in her grip, she wasn’t sure what the etiquette was. Did she wait until she was alone to open it, or open it in front of Valentina, right now? Luckily, Valentina’s question caused her rising anxiety to settle. 

“Yes. Of course.” She replied as she pulled gently at the ribbon. 

She let the red ribbon fall to the floor as her index fingers slid underneath the clear tape holding the wrapping together. She tugged at it, releasing one end and unfolding the paper. But it wasn’t enough for the gift inside to slip out. She turned the parcel and began working at the tape at the other end. 

“You can rip it, you know?” Valentina stated impatiently, the amusement easily detected in her tone. 

“I’m not ripping anything. I’m not a savage.” Juliana teased as the tape was finally freed from the other end. She just wanted to prolong the moment and enjoy unwrapping a gift that had been chosen especially for her. 

Finally, Juliana unraveled the brown paper wrapping to reveal a square blue box. She let the paper slip from her grip and join the ribbon on the floor. Her hands gripped either side of the box and slid the top open slowly. 

Juliana’s eyes widened as she found, resting perfectly on top of thin white padding, a perfect, glinting necklace. A delicate gold chain met at the edges of the pendant hanging in the middle, looping through small circles. Juliana raised the box to her face to get a closer look. A semi-circle made entirely of pearl was surrounded on the curved side by tiny triangles, a small diamond sitting encased in gold at the junction of each. 

“It’s a half sun.” Valentina explained. “I have the other half. See?” Valentina pulled her own necklace, the exact same, out of the neckline of her dress. 

Valentina smiled before raising her finger below Juliana’s jaw, gently closing her mouth that had fallen open at the generosity of the gift. 

“You once gave me sunflowers, and told me that I make you smile, just like sunflowers do.” Juliana’s lips twitched as she recalled the memory. “Well, ever since you have entered my life, it has been bright like the sun. At first, you were just a tiny ray of light shining through my darkest clouds. And you helped me to push those aside, completely lighting up my life. You fill me with warmth, and you have this way about you that makes me always want to be near you. I thought, maybe, this was a good reflection of that.” Valentina finished with a slight shrug of her shoulders. 

Juliana swallowed as her brain tried to process Valentina’s words and the meaning behind the gift sitting in her palm. She tore her eyes away from bright blue and looked back down at the sparkling gold.

“Wow.” Juliana breathed as her fingers delicately traced the outline of the sun. 

“Do you like it?” Valentina asked quietly. 

Juliana scoffed lightly. “Val, are you serious? I love it. Thank you so much.” 

Juliana wasn’t really sure how to convey just how much she appreciated the present. A string of mumbled words were all she could muster right at that moment, but she hoped Valentina could hear her sincerity. 

“Are you sure? Because I can –“

Valentina was cut short when Juliana threw are free arm around Valentina’s neck and pressed herself against the taller woman. Her lips pushed into Valentina’s, the kiss reciprocated once Valentina found her balance. Her arms wrapped tightly around Juliana’s waist and they held one another close while they embraced, their lips, teeth and tongues clashing gently as they tried to show one another just how much they cared. 

With one last nip to Valentina’s lips, Juliana pulled back with a shy smile on her face. “Does that answer your question for you?”

Valentina licked the corner of her mouth and rolled her eyes. 

“Will you help me put it on?” Juliana asked as she carefully pulled the necklace from its box. 

“Sure.” Valentina agreed as Juliana handed her the chain. 

She turned and tugged at her hair, pulling it over one shoulder so Valentina could easily place the necklace around her neck. Long, slender arms reached around her and Juliana relished in the cool pendant against the bare skin of her chest. She could feel Valentina’s hands fumble with the clasp before her fingers let go of the chain and it dropped delicately against the skin of her neck. 

Before Juliana could turn again, Valentina’s hand moved to her shoulders and held her there firmly as she littered Juliana’s neck and shoulders with tender kisses. Juliana sighed contentedly under the ministrations, closing her eyes as she felt her body melt under the light touch of Valentina. 

“Come on, we have to get going.” Valentina whispered hotly in her ear before tugging on her ear lobe with her teeth. 

“Vaaaaaal.” Juliana whined as Valentina stepped out from behind Juliana and swept her handbag to the side once more. She swung her hips provocatively as she made her way to the door. 

“We’ll have more time for that later. For now, let me buy you dinner.” Valentina said with a wink over her shoulder as she pulled at the front door, holding it open for Juliana. 

Juliana narrowed her eyes at Valentina before huffing out a breath. She slid on her best boots and followed Valentina out the door, locking it behind her. 

~

Valentina took another sip from her glass of wine while Juliana licked at the small desert fork in her right hand. 

“So…” She said as she placed the glass gently onto the table sitting between them. “What would you like to do now, birthday girl?”

Juliana grinned as she sat the fork on the plate, a few scattered crumbs and a smear of chocolate sauce the only indication there had been any brownie to begin with. A singular purple candle, the top now burnt, lay beside the fork. 

“Well, what are my options?” Juliana asked as she sat back in her seat. 

She took her own wine glass in her hand, lifting it to her mouth and washing down the brownie. During dinner, they had consumed more wine than either had intended, the excitement of the evening getting the best of both women. Juliana could feel the tingle of alcohol flow through her veins, her head only slightly fuzzy. She was buzzed, and she knew it. Usually Juliana was careful when drinking. She only had a few at a time, just enough to take the edge off, not often letting go and consuming enough to get drunk. She knows it’s because of her past, the way her father acted while under the influence, that deters her from drinking enough to lose control. But deep down, she knows she’s not like that. 

Tonight was particularly special. Valentina had done everything to ensure Juliana had enjoyed her night so far, and it looked as though she was willing to let the night roll on if Juliana so desired. 

Valentina licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak. 

“Let’s see. We can either call it a night and I can drop you home.” 

Juliana shook her head vigorously at that option. 

Valentina giggled. “Right, not that one. Terrible idea.” She said as her tongue traced against her teeth.

Valentina’s index finger began tracing the lip of the wine glass sitting in front of her. “We can go dancing?”

Juliana’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. Just as she was about to respond, her phone beeped from her handbag slung across the back of her chair. 

“Hold that thought.” 

Normally she wouldn’t interrupt dinner, or any moment with Valentina, to check on her phone. But Lupe worried about her, so she was better off responding straight away rather than dealing with a flustered Lupe later on. 

She pulled her phone out but was surprised to see Alex’s name flash on the screen. He knows she’s busy tonight, so his text intrigued her. She swiped up and opened the text.

**A:** _Hey, Juli! Just checking in to see how dinner is going… have you said the L word yet!?_

**J:** _Oh my God. Shut up! Dinner has been great. We’re going out dancing soon!_

Three dots danced along Juliana’s screen as Alex typed his reply. Juliana looked up and smirked at Valentina. 

“It’s Alex.” 

Valentina looked at her dubiously, her chin jutting outward. 

“Alex, the guy who asked you out, Alex?” 

“Yes, that Alex. He’s a nice guy. You know we’re just friends.”

Juliana’s phone buzzed in her hand. 

**A:** _How perfect. I’m out with Rafi. Come join us! Pleaasseeeeee!_

Juliana smiled up at Valentina. 

“Wanna meet him?” 

Valentina chewed on her lip before gulping down her last mouthful of wine. 

“I’d love to. Let’s go.”

~

“No, Val. It’s okay, I promise. We can just hang with the crowd.” Juliana tried to be heard above the thumping of the music in the club. Her hand was firmly wrapped up in Valentina’s as the long-legged beauty guided her through the crowd towards the bar. 

“No, Juls. It’s your birthday. We’re going to the VIP area.” Valentina spoke over her shoulder as they squeezed past another group of people. 

The club was packed. Neon lights lit up the balcony of the second floor which looked down onto the main dance floor. A large DJ booth sat at the far end, while a variety of other lights flashed around the space intermittently. Juliana felt momentarily disoriented as her hand slipped from Valentina’s and she lost sight of her. She stood still and turned in a full circle before Valentina appeared before her and wrapped her arm around her neck, pulling her close. 

“C’mon. It’s just through here.” She spoke in her ear as Valentina used her hand to push people out of the way as they walked. A security guard standing at the roped off area of the club nodded at Valentina when she approached. He unclipped the rope, unsmiling, and stood aside. 

Valentina motioned for Juliana to go first. She carefully made her way up the four steps, Valentina’s hand sliding against hers again as she led her to a high-backed red couch. Juliana sunk into it happily, closely followed by Valentina. 

“What do you want to drink?” Valentina leant in as she asked. 

“I’ll drink whatever you’re having.” 

“I’ll be right back.” 

Valentina disappeared so Juliana pulled out her phone to shoot a text to Alex. 

**J:** _“Hey, we’re in the VIP area. Where are you?”_

Juliana left her phone in her hand and looked up. Two large armchairs sat opposite Juliana with a small table between them. There were six other couches in the area that had people sitting and mingling. They sipped at what Juliana imagined to be expensive drinks in their hands and they were all very well dressed. The main part of the club stretched out a few steps below them. It was already pretty busy and Juliana was actually grateful Valentina hadn’t taken her no to the VIP area for an answer. A sea of bodies moved against one another to the thumping of the beat, men and woman laughing and dancing and enjoying their night. Lights flashed around periodically with the music, a variety of colors streaming down on the party-goers as the DJ seamlessly changed song. 

Juliana hadn’t really ever gone clubbing before. She was too young when living in Texas and she had no reason to while living in Mexico. She breathed in the air, thick with smoke and sweat, and smiled. 

A light buzzing brought Juliana back to the phone in her hand. 

**A:** _We’re at the rope. Let us in!_

Juliana left their belongings on the couch and made her way to the rope, nodding at the security guard and waving at Alex and a girl Juliana hadn’t seen before. Alex was wearing a simple button up short and brown shorts, a half-empty pint of beer in his hand. His hair bounced as he grinned at Juliana. 

“They’re with me.” She said as she gestured towards the pair. 

The security guards expression didn’t change, but his large hand unclipped the rope and he stepped aside. Alex’s grin was wide as he enveloped Juliana in a tight hug.

“Happy birthday!” He cheered in her ear before pulling away and putting his arm around the girl he was with. “Juli, this is Rafi.” 

Juliana held out her hand and smiled. Rafi had gorgeous brown skin and dark hair. She was slim and tall, but it was too dark to really figure out the rest of her features. She was wearing a simple red dress that highlighted her long legs, a tall glass sitting in her hand as she sipped through a straw. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Juliana said as she shook Rafi’s hand. 

“You too. Thanks for getting us in here.” Rafi commented as her eyes roamed around the space. “And happy birthday.”

“Thank you. Valentina will be back in a minute. Let’s go sit down.” Juliana turned and led the way to the couch. Juliana pointed at the two armchairs. Alex and Rafi understood the signal and got comfortable in their seats. Their expressions were jubilant as they took in the space. Just as Alex started telling Juliana about their night so far, Valentina reappeared. 

“Hey.” Valentina beamed as she sat down closely beside Juliana. She pressed a cool glass into her hand and turned to face Alex and Rafi opposite them. 

“Are you serious?” Alex was gaping at Valentina, his mouth turned up in a shocked smile. His eyes then landed on Juliana. “Juli. Holy shit. You didn’t tell me you knew Valentina Carvajal.”

“You’re gorgeous.” Rafi blurted, her eyes wide as she stared unabashedly at Valentina. 

Juliana giggled before taking a sip of her drink. She watched Valentina confidently introduce herself to Alex and Rafi, shaking Alex’s hand and bringing Rafi in for a quick hug. As Valentina sat back down, her hand found Juliana’s knee. They were normally careful with their public displays of affection, but in this instance, Juliana didn’t mind. It may have been the alcohol, but she had to admit she enjoyed the attention from Valentina, even in the little details. Alex’s slight quirk of his eyebrow did not go unnoticed.

“So, how was dinner?” Alex asked casually as they all settled into their seats. 

“It was really nice. Valentina took us to this beautiful restaurant, and we ate things I’ve never tried before. It was all really great.” 

“Wow, Juli. Haven’t you been spoiled?” Alex’s cheeky smile and teasing tone was enough to earn a playful smirk. 

Juliana narrowed her eyes at him and took another sip of her drink. The cool liquid slid down her throat easily, a hint of mint amid the bubbles. She didn’t mind the taste, and was enjoying the affect the alcohol was having on her ability to relax and enjoy the night. 

Rafi leant forward on her chair and began peppering Valentina with superficial questions any member of the public would already know about her. Alex took the opportunity to move closer to Juliana.

“Valentina Carvajal? Really? Why did you not mention this to me before?” 

Juliana briefly glanced at Valentina before leaning forward, speaking as quietly as she could to still be heard over the loud music. “You can’t tell anyone. And what does Rafi know?”

“I only said we were meeting you and a friend.” 

“Okay, good. We just can’t risk this getting out, you know?” 

“It’s cool, Juli. I won’t say anything.” Alex scrunched his eyebrows in mock hurt. Juliana had already made him promise that when he finally met the girl she was involved with, that he would keep it a secret. He had been nothing but a great friend so far. She hoped her trust in him wouldn’t backfire. 

Juliana smiled and put her hand on Alex’s shoulder. 

“Thank you.” 

Just as Alex opened his mouth to respond, a waiter arrived with a tray. He skillfully lowered a frosted bottle and four shot glasses onto the table while Valentina passed him some cash. 

“Val, what’s this?” Juliana asked as she finished her drink.

“This is to celebrate you.” She commented as she poured each person a shot. Her long fingers handed Alex and Rafi a glass, before handing one to Juliana and picking one up for herself. She raised her glass into the air as she gazed at Juliana. 

“Happy birthday Juls.” 

“Happy birthday!” Rafi and Alex cheered as they clinked glasses clumsily, all laughing before the clear liquid was consumed greedily by all. 

Juliana coughed as the alcohol burned her throat, her hand covering her mouth. She felt a warm palm rub along her back soothingly. 

“You’ll get used to that.” Valentina whispered in her ear.

Juliana looked up to see Valentina grinning widely. 

“Jesus, Val. What is that?” 

“My version of liquid gold, otherwise known as Mezcal.” Valentina replied with a mischievous wiggle of her eyebrows.

~

The night had flown by. They sat in the VIP area, their voices slowly growing louder and their gesticulations becoming more clumsy as the liquid in the bottle of Mezcal began lowering. After the initial niceties were out of the way, the two couples fell into the groove of getting to know one another. They shared stories, some funny and some serious, and laughed at one another’s misfortunes. Juliana’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much, her voice gravelly from trying to be heard over the loud atmosphere of the club. 

She was enjoying herself considerably, although it was becoming harder and harder to restrain herself around Valentina. As the alcohol continued to swirl around her body, the more she wanted to touch Valentina. There were a few occasions where she couldn’t hold back, but she hoped the playful shove, the twirl of hair or the rub of a thigh under her palm could be explained away as two close friends. Rafi seemed none the wiser, and Valentina certainly wasn’t protesting, so she felt comfortable and confident in her actions. 

As the clock neared midnight, Alex slammed his shot glass down on the table and smacked his lips together. 

“Right. I think it’s time.” He announced as he stood, hands on hips.

“Time for what?” Rafi giggled as she looked up at him. 

“To dance.” He said as he held his hand out to Rafi. The dark haired girl laughed and placed her hand in his, her body almost limp as he lifted her from the couch. It took her a moment to find her balance. 

“Come on, you two. Follow us.” He called over his shoulder and he led Rafi towards the dance floor. 

Juliana turned her head to look at Val. 

“You in?”

“I am if you are.” She replied, her eyes bright. 

Juliana grabbed Valentina’s hand and eagerly followed Alex and Rafi into the crowd. 

The crowd of people was much thicker on the other side of the rope. Bodies were gyrating with the music, pulsing as if stuck in a strong current. Alex pushed through the sea of people until he reached a small opening on the floor, immediately pulling Rafi close to him. 

Juliana closed her eyes and listened to the music, relaxing her limbs and letting go, surrendering her body to the sound of the beat. She swayed her hips and moved her feet, the movements coming naturally to her. She was conscious of the fact that she hadn’t been able to wipe the smile off her face for the majority of the night. Never in her life had she experienced connection and contentment like she had so far that night. The friendly interactions between Valentina, Alex and Rafi made her chest feel full, and how effortlessly she found it to live in the moment and share parts of herself was surprisingly fulfilling. 

She breathed in the heat of the club and whipped her hair off her face. One song seamlessly blurred into another as Juliana opened her eyes. Through the light artificial fog hanging in the air, Valentina swayed in front of her. Her eyes were flitting along Juliana’s frame, almost as if she wasn’t sure where to focus her attention. 

Juliana looked around to find Alex and Rafi, but they had been sucked into the vortex of the surging crowd and couldn’t be seen. Juliana realized they were surrounded by strangers, encircled by people who continued to dance gauchely against one another, their eyes fuzzy and drinks half-full. 

Juliana turned and stepped back, fully aware of where Valentina was standing among the crowd. She could feel a warm body behind her as she continued to sway along to the beat of the song. The base thumped in her ears as she pulled her hair over one shoulder. A pair of familiar hands tentatively grasped Juliana’s waist. 

“You’re killing me over here.” Valentina whispered in her ear. 

Juliana pushed back against her in response, her backside pressing into Valentina’s front. 

“What do you mean?”

Valentina hissed in her ear at Juliana’s bold move, her hands gripping more firmly against Juliana’s hips. 

“You’re just _so fucking sexy_.” Valentina groaned before she tugged on Juliana’s ear lobe with her teeth. 

Juliana’s head fell back to rest against Valentina’s shoulder as the girls grew more confident in their new embrace. She could feel Valentina’s chest against her back as they moved together. Valentina licked a path from Juliana’s ear to her neck before she draped an arm over Juliana’s shoulder and across her chest, pulling tighter against her. The hand on her hip dipped towards her stomach and back, a motion Valentina repeated over and over as they danced. Juliana’s left hand reached backwards, her fingers weaving into Valentina’s locks. 

The friction of their bodies moving together was causing Juliana’s dress to ride up her thighs. She turned to face Valentina as she pulled at her dress. The steamy atmosphere of the club, the mass of people on the dance floor and the closeness of her body to Valentina’s was making Juliana overheat. She could feel a light sheen of sweat form on her forehead and her neck, the long sleeves of her dress not helping the situation. 

As she caught sight of Valentina up close, she could tell the taller woman was hot too. Her face was flushed and her skin was hot to touch, the few wayward flicks of hair sticking to the sides of her face. 

They continued to sway as they watched one another, their hands never breaking contact. Hips were squeezed, hair was tugged and backs were scratched as they lost themselves in the beat of the music, enjoying the peculiar mix of being in a room full of people, but no-one paying attention to them. 

Juliana wanted to kiss her. She wanted to grab a hold of Valentina’s neck and draw her in for a deep, sucking kiss. As much as they were dancing somewhat inappropriately for two people who were pretending to be friends, in the back of her mind, she knew she couldn’t quite take that step in this kind of public environment. But she just couldn’t take her eyes off Valentina’s lips. 

Valentina’s tongue flicked out and dragged across the pink flesh, and Juliana was entranced. She held on tighter as the flicker of desire that was sparked during their dancing suddenly roared to life. She reacted by threading her fingers more tightly into Valentina’s hair at the base of her skull and pulling. Valentina’s eyes grew wide as she bit down on her lip, her hands flattening on Juliana’s back. They were holding one another so tight Juliana could feel every curve of Valentina’s body against her. 

“We’re leaving.” Valentina stated. 

She pulled away enough to grasp Juliana’s hand in her own and pull her through the crowd. Juliana stumbled along behind her, her head fuzzy with want, the buzz of alcohol still flowing through her veins. 

As they reached the couches in the VIP area, Valentina picked up their bags and pulled out her phone. 

“I’m ordering an Uber.”

“Why are we leaving?” Juliana asked as she adjusted her bag over her shoulder and across her chest. 

Valentina looked up from her phone with an arched eyebrow. 

“Because I can’t stand having you so close and not touching you the way I want to. So we’re going some place where I can have you how I want.” She replied, simply, as if the answer were obvious. 

As a smirk crossed Juliana’s features, Valentina pressed her tongue into her cheek. 

“Are you coming back to mine, then? Because I can’t really go back to yours.”

As realization dawned on Valentina, she giggled lightly. 

“Right. Of course. Is that okay?”

“Sure. We just have to be mindful of Lupe. We can’t be too loud.” Juliana said with a wink. 

“How are we going to explain us in the morning?”

“Girl friends share beds all the time. We’ll figure it out.” 

Valentina smiled before re-focusing her attention on her phone. As soon as she’d clicked the final button, she took Juliana’s hand in hers once more.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait.” Juliana squeezed Valentina’s hand tighter to stop her from walking away. “What about Alex and Rafi.”

A large smile widened across Valentina’s face. 

“Juls, I think they’re also probably a little pre-occupied.”

It didn’t sit well with Juliana to leave without saying goodbye. She was torn between leaving right away and having Valentina as close to her as soon as possible, or finding Alex and Rafi amidst the throng of people to let them know they were leaving. Valentina could clearly see the hesitation in Juliana’s face. 

“Why don’t you just text him and let him know we’re going. I’m sure he won’t mind.” Valentina suggested as she curled Juliana’s hair around her ear. 

“Okay, I guess that’ll do.” Juliana pulled out her phone and sent Alex a quick text letting him know of their departure. 

As soon as the blue box appeared in the chat, she allowed herself to be led out of the club and into the back of a waiting Uber. 

~

Juliana’s back hit the bed with a soft thump. Before she could protest the light shove, Valentina’s mouth suctioned onto her left nipple as long legs straddled her waist. Juliana shoved a knuckle into her mouth to stifle a moan as the other hand cradled Valentina’s head, holding her close. 

She couldn’t help but squirm as Valentina shuffled down her body, leaving a trail of kisses and nips along her stomach. Without moving away, Valentina managed to swiftly remove her own underwear and Juliana’s. 

With the brief reprieve from the attack, Juliana craned her neck to ensure her bedroom door was shut. The last thing she needed was for Lupe to see what was about to happen. She sincerely hoped her mother was sound asleep on the other side of the apartment. They had tried to be quiet on their way in, but Juliana wasn’t entirely sure they succeeded in their mission. As soon as the bedroom door had shut, Valentina pounced, and it didn’t take long for their clothes to be scattered across the bedroom floor. 

Valentina’s mouth returned to Juliana’s body, her tongue teasing the inside of her thigh before a broad lick was pressed firmly through her dripping centre. 

“Oh, God.” Juliana groaned. 

“You’re so wet for me baby.”

“You weren’t exactly ‘hands off’ in the back of that Uber.” Juliana panted. “What do you expect when you tease me like that?”

“I like when you’re so wet for me.” Valentina husked between long licks. “You taste so _fucking good_.”

Just as Juliana was about to reply with another retort, plump lips wrapped around her clit and sucked lightly. Her back arched off the mattress and her hands pulled firmly at the white sheets.

“Val, bebe?”

“Mmmmm?” Valentina hummed as her tongue flicked over Juliana’s clit. 

“Babe, I’m not going to last long with you doing that.”

Juliana’s hand blindly reached down for Valentina’s head and tugged, indicating wordlessly what she wanted.

Valentina’s lithe body crawled up Juliana’s, a shiver rippling across her skin as their nipples brushed against each other. As their lips connected and tongues continued their dance, long fingers eagerly slid through Juliana’s folds. 

“Jesus, you’re ravenous tonight.” Juliana whimpered as the pads of Valentina’s fingers brushed over her clit. 

“I’ve just missed you so much.” Valentina replied as she kissed Juliana’s neck. “And it’s been so long since we’ve had the comfort of a bed to be like this.”

Juliana’s teeth gently bit into the soft flesh of Valentina’s shoulder as she pushed into her. She was so ready, so full of want and need that Valentina didn’t wait for her to get used to the welcome intrusion. Valentina set a perfect rhythm quickly, their bodies gliding together easily as they moved. 

“And I just wanted to fuck you so bad on your birthday.” Valentina puffed out. 

Juliana’s hands kneaded into the soft skin of Valentina’s ass. A pert smack on the fleshy skin of Valentina’s backside caused a guttural moan to erupt from Valentina’s throat. 

“ _Fuck_ , yes.” 

“Faster, Val.”

Valentina immediately reacted to the demand, her fingers working frantically to quicken the pace. 

Juliana could feel herself slipping faster than ever before. Her stomach was beginning to tighten and her skin was tingling. She clamped her eyes shut as Valentina shifted, her forehead pressing against her own. She exhaled shakily as they shared the same air, their bodies jerking together as Juliana barreled towards her orgasm. 

As Juliana reached the cliff’s edge, her nails dug into Valentina’s ass while the fingers on her other hand laced into Valentina’s hair. Just as she had in the club earlier that night, she roughly pulled at the hair in her grasp. The sound of Valentina’s groan was the last thing her brain registered before her body tumbled into the abyss. 

She could vaguely feel Valentina still moving against her, pulling every inch of pleasure out of her. Slowly, the tightening faded and she relaxed onto the bed. A faint smile reached her lips as Valentina removed her fingers and peppered her face with light kisses. 

“Happy birthday, babe.” Valentina whispered between pecks. 

Juliana managed a light chuckle, her fingers lightly tracing over the skin on Valentina’s arms and back. 

It was made abundantly clear that Valentina was on edge. She hadn’t stopped moving, her center brushing against Juliana’s thigh. Just as Juliana gained an ounce of energy back and was about to turn her attention to the breathtaking women on top of her, Valentina beat her to it. 

The blue-eyed woman sat up on Juliana’s waist and tucked one leg under, while manoeuvring one of Juliana’s legs over. Without warning, Valentina thrust her hips forward and whimpered as their centers collided. 

“Val.” Juliana breathed as a pulse of need shot through her at the action. 

Her eyes were wide open now as she took in the sight above her. Valentina’s taut body rolled against her rhythmically, her stomach tight and nipples stiff. Her long neck exposed as her head whipped back, her long hair swaying with the motion. 

Juliana’s right hand pressed into the skin on her stomach, tracing the mid line before squeezing a breast firmly. She was surprised at how quickly her body was reacting to the delicious friction their centers were creating as they rubbed together. 

“I’m so close, baby. You feel so good.” Valentina whined.

Juliana shuddered as Valentina’s hips picked up their pace in search of the ultimate release. 

“Come for me.” Juliana closed her own eyes as she felt her second orgasm fast approaching. She rolled a nipple between her fingers as her skin burned, desperate for relief.

“You ready?” Valentina breathed.

“Yeah.”

A few more rolls of their hips and both women finally succumbed to the building pressure. 

Valentina fell heavily beside Juliana, tucking her head neatly into the crook of her neck. Their chests heaved as they attempted to catch their breath. Eventually, Juliana moved so they were lying facing one another. She found some energy to reach down and drag the light sheet up and other their bodies. They finally settled, legs were entwined, bodies still touching almost from head to toe.

“Thanks for tonight, Val.” Juliana whispered as sleep slowly crept up on her. 

“Anything for you, Juls.” 

They fell asleep together, curled up against one another, naked and satiated, just happy to be so close to the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....  
> This one kind of got away from me. I had a whole other scene I wanted to add but it got too big so it'll have to wait until next time.  
> Apologies for the late update. I'm doing my best but everything is kinda busy!  
> I hope you enjoy. And please let me know what you think :)  
> Also, I only re-read this one so my bad if there are any mistakes!


	15. Mornings

A car horn blaring in the distance pulled Juliana from her slumber. Her eyelids fluttered as she began to stir, taking a deep breath and swallowing in an attempt to bring some relief to a dry throat. She was only mildly aware of the headache forming in the base of her skull, too distracted by a dizzying scent as her eyes adjusted to the dull morning glow of her bedroom. 

Both girls were lying on their side facing one another, their lower bodies a tangle of sheets and limbs. They had inevitably shifted slightly in their sleep, but a small smile crept onto Juliana’s face as she realized they had still woken up wrapped up together. Her nose was pressed into the junction at the base of Valentina’s throat, her head resting on one of Valentina’s outstretched arms. Her own arm was tingling, aching from a lack of circulation as it was pinned under her own body. 

A small gold necklace was the only thing Valentina was wearing. It rested high on her chest, the milky pearl and small diamonds contrasting perfectly against the shiny gold casing. The sight of it made Juliana’s heart beat a little harder in her chest as she pressed an index finger on her own necklace, the other half of the one Valentina wore. The memory of what it symbolized made her skin prickle in excitement, as her brain tried to decipher the overwhelming emotions of the previous evening. 

There was no longer any doubt about whether or not this was love for Juliana – she was certain of it now. 

Juliana pressed a light kiss on a bare collarbone before wiggling out from under Valentina’s other arm that had been thrown casually across her waist. The combination of movements from the bed and the woman lying next to her caused Valentina to stir. She grumbled and twisted her spine so her legs and hips stayed in their comfortable position against Juliana, but so her shoulders rolled back onto the mattress. The arm that had been holding onto Juliana came to rest beside her head on the pillow, her nose twitching and eyes still clamped shut. Valentina’s perfect breasts were exposed as the sheet fell away, her chest rising and falling slowly with deep breaths. 

Juliana sighed in contentment. This was something she could get used to. Waking up next to this gorgeous woman triggered butterflies to erupt in her stomach, an even larger smile to stretch across her face. 

She bit her lip to stop a giggle from escaping at the adorable pout on Valentina’s face. She scooped her still tingling arm underneath a slender neck and threaded her fingers through Valentina’s resting on her pillow. Valentina’s arms were now either pinned underneath Juliana or holding onto her hand. Juliana had managed to give herself a free pass to explore Valentina’s body, unable to be easily interrupted.

Valentina still looked to be asleep. Her nose twitched occasionally as she breathed in deeply through her nose. Her hair fell like a mane around her head, a contrast of browns and blondes fanning out against the pillow. 

Juliana’s free hand lightly traced Valentina’s jawline, down her neck and along her collarbones. She took her time, the pads of her fingers gliding along her shoulder before circling the underside of Valentina’s breasts. Her index finger gently outlined a pink nipple, watching in awe as it stiffened under her attention. She was obsessed with watching Valentina’s body react to her touch. Her fingers swept across her stomach with the lightest of touches. She subconsciously began sucking on her lip as goose bumps rippled across milky skin. The faint outline of Valentina’s abdominals were enticing enough for Juliana to thrum along them, her fingers tapping along gently as if she were playing the piano. 

Her thumb and index finger pushed into the skin on Valentina’s hip, the bone hard under her touch. She slowly dragged her fingers down along the soft skin of Valentina’s backside. The action caused Valentina’s leg to hitch a little higher, her knee arching over Juliana’s hip. Juliana’s palm slid up Valentina’s thigh to her knee, then back down again, her thumb brushing the soft skin on the inside of her hip. 

Juliana was so entranced with what she was doing that she hadn’t noticed Valentina awoke. A muffled “hey” pulled her attention away from the heat radiating from between Valentina’s legs. She shifted her head to catch bright blue gazing down at her. Her eyelids were still half closed, but it was obvious by the darkness in her eyes that Valentina was already affected. 

“Good morning, beautiful.” Juliana husked out into the quiet bedroom. 

“What’re you doing?” Valentina mumbled. 

“Just admiring the view.” Juliana replied with a smile and a more confident brush of her fingers on the inside of Valentina’s thigh. 

“I can see that.” Valentina retorted as her lips began pulling up into a small smile.

Juliana continued dragging the tips of her fingers up and down Valentina’s thigh and across the expanse of stomach. With each sweep of her fingers, she would brush lower and lower. The whole time, the two women continued to watch one another, familiarizing themselves with the features of the others face. 

“I really like waking up next to you.” Juliana confessed quietly. 

Valentina licked her lips and swallowed thickly. 

“I know. I could get used to this.” 

Juliana felt something tug deep in her stomach. A lifetime of waking up next to Valentina flashed before her. She let out a shaky breath at the thought.

She didn’t want to tease any longer. This time, her fingers dipped to where they both wanted, gliding impatiently through wet heat.

Valentina breathed out in relief, her teeth biting at her lip at the feeling. 

Juliana’s fingers had no intention of stopping. They quickly developed a pattern, dipping lightly to Valentina’s entrance before circling her clit, over and over and over. Valentina was sufficiently worked up in a short space of time, soft moans gradually filling the bedroom. 

“Shhhh.” Juliana whispered. “You have to be quiet.”

Valentina quirked an eyebrow at the request, her lips stuttering as she attempted to control her mounting arousal. 

“You aren’t exactly making it easy.” She replied breathlessly.

Juliana huffed out in amusement and pulled herself up onto the pillow next to Valentina, her fingers continuing to slip along the length of the blue-eyed girl. 

“Here, let me help.” 

Juliana slotted her lips between Valentina’s while simultaneously inserting two fingers slowly inside her. 

A firm nip to her lower lip was replaced by a soothing tongue as they kissed languidly. There was no rush this morning, no overwhelming desire to rip one another’s clothes off. The previous night had been hot and heavy, give and take with a fiery passion. This was different. Juliana took the opportunity and kept the pace slow, sensual. She pulled her fingers out to the tips before slowly sliding them back in, curling her fingers when she could push no further. 

There was a light tugging on her other hand. Valentina was trying to free herself from their grasp. Juliana only tightened her hold, knowing exactly what Valentina’s plan was.

Valentina panted out at the realization she wasn’t going to get what she wanted. 

“But I want to touch you.” She whined. 

“Not right now. I want to see you, feel you, without you distracting me.”

If it was even possible, Valentina’s blue eyes dilated even further. Her tongue dragged along her lower lip as she watched Juliana intently. A slight nod let Juliana know she understood, that she would stay where she was. 

Juliana set about finding a rhythm, her fingers sliding in and out of Valentina steadily while her mouth captured any whimpers or moans. Eventually, Valentina’s own hips began moving erotically against her, working with Juliana’s fingers. It was clear she needed more. 

Juliana’s leg that was pinned between Valentina’s was used as leverage, helping to plunge her fingers deeper. Tongues were determined to enjoy their sloppy dance as their bodies continued to grind against one another. 

Valentina’s body began to shake, her kisses becoming more distracted as she slipped towards release. 

“Juls.” Valentina moaned. 

“I know, baby.” 

Juliana pressed the pad of her thumb against Valentina’s clit and did her best to rub against it with every push of her fingers. Valentina’s eyes slammed shut and her body trembled against Juliana’s. She came quietly, her muscles tight as she gave in, allowing pleasure to ripple through her. Juliana drank in the sight of Valentina quivering, in pure wonder that she was the person who was allowed to have Valentina like this, intimate and exposed. 

When Juliana felt Valentina’s body relax, she removed her fingers and held Valentina close to her. This time Valentina’s head was tucked into Juliana’s neck, her breaths heavy on her skin as she brought herself back to earth. Her fingers fell from their grip as Valentina shifted her weight onto her side, throwing her arm over Juliana and pressing more firmly into her. 

Eventually, their breathing evened out, and they slipped quietly back into a peaceful sleep. 

~

When Juliana awoke the second time, it was clear she was alone. Her hand immediately sought out contact of another warm body, but the sheets turned up cold and empty. A light giggle and a clatter of a pan alerted Juliana to something going on outside her bedroom. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, but Valentina was nowhere to be seen. 

She sat up quickly, groaning as a dull ache hammered against her skull. Her hand rubbed lazily against her face as her hangover made itself known. 

She swung her legs off the side of the bed and pulled her usual sleepwear – a white shirt and striped while and blue shorts – off the dresser and quickly dressed herself without much care. 

Sounds of voices drifted to her from the kitchen. Valentina and her mother were clearly having a happy morning conversation while they made breakfast. The delicious smell of food cooking would usually perk Juliana right up, but she rubbed her stomach with unease as she opened her door and made her way to the kitchen.

Juliana assumed Valentina at least had the sense to find some clothes to change into before joining Lupe. She raked her hand through her hair as she shuffled around the corner, her eyes still half-shut. 

“There you are, sweetie.” Lupe said merrily as Juliana appeared. Her face shifted into a smirk when she noticed the scruffy state Juliana was in. “Oh, wow. How much did you girls drink last night?”

“Hey, sleepy head.” Valentina chimed in with a wide grin on her face. 

Valentina was setting the table as Lupe piled a pancake onto an already almost-toppling stack. Juliana narrowed her eyes at Valentina as she observed the other woman in a different set of sleepwear. She was gorgeous, and she looked as bright and bubbly as ever.

“How are you not also feeling like total crap?” Juliana shot at Valentina.

“I’m basically a seasoned drinker. Hangovers don’t quite knock me around so much anymore.” Valentina explained as she placed the final fork on a placemat. “But it’s okay. Your ma has cooked you up a nice breakfast that will help.”

“We’re having pancakes!” Lupe called out from the kitchen.

“I don’t think I can eat.” Juliana complained as she dropped herself heavily onto a wooden seat at the table. 

“It will make you feel better. But, you should also drink some of this.” Valentina sat down opposite and pushed a glass of Coke towards her.” I don’t know why, but the bubbles always make me feel better after a night out.” 

Juliana considered Valentina, watching as she got comfortable in her own seat. Somehow, she looked radiant. Her hair barely looked as if she’d slept, the bags under her eyes were minimal, and she sat up straight in her chair, alert and ready to tackle the day. Juliana, on the other hand, felt like a truck had run into her. She hugged a knee close to her chest, bent in on herself, trying to push the thumping in her head aside.

Valentina cocked her head, a small smile gracing her lips, as Juliana continued to stay silent. 

“Maybe you need these, too.” Valentina picked up a packet that had been sitting on the table and passed them to Juliana as well. 

Her eyes shifted to the painkillers and took in a breath. With a stiff shrug of her shoulders, she popped two small pills into her hand and washed them down with a long gulp of Coke.

Juliana placed the large glass back on the table as Lupe joined them. The tallest pile of pancakes Juliana had ever seen was placed carefully in the middle of the table. Lupe dusted off her hands as if she were proud of her efforts, before taking her own seat. 

“A big breakfast is key to getting over that hangover, Juli. It’ll soak up all that alcohol in your system.” 

“Thanks, Lupe. These look great.” Valentina exclaimed, her eyes wide. 

“When did you two become such good friends?” Juliana asked sarcastically. 

“Well, you have been sleeping for hours, dear. You can’t expect poor Valentina to wait in your room while you sleep.”

“I had to go to the bathroom and your ma found me. When I told her what we got up to last night, she suggested we cook breakfast.” Valentina explained casually as she flipped two pancakes onto her own plate.

“It’s so nice for you to have a friend stay, Juli.” Lupe’s hand patted Juliana’s on the table as she spoke. 

Juliana had never had anyone stay over, and with Lupe’s previous comments about Juliana being lonely, it was clear she was happy Juliana was making an effort. 

“I hope you weren’t uncomfortable on that small bed in Juliana’s room. Juliana at least offered to sleep on the couch, I assume.” Lupe seemed genuinely concerned about Valentina’s sleep, or possible lack thereof.

“Ma.” Juliana grumbled.

“No, it’s fine. I slept perfectly. Thank you.” Valentina offered politely.

The two girls shared a quick look over the pile of pancakes between them. A look of understanding, of a secret, that even if Juliana had offered to sleep on the couch, both knew it was never a possibility. Valentina shoved a dripping square of food in her mouth to prevent a cheeky smile from breaking out as memories of their night and morning together, in the same bed, floated between them. 

Lupe and Valentina continued to speak animatedly over breakfast. Juliana chewed slowly on her food, unsure if she would keep it down. Valentina replayed their evening to Lupe, explaining where they had gone and what they had done. Lupe clapped in excitement when Valentina mentioned they had caught up with Alex. Juliana barely contributed to the conversation as she concentrated on trying to keep her food down. 

Juliana sipped at the Coke Valentina had given her, and by the end of breakfast, she was beginning to feel better. 

“So, what are you girls doing today?” Lupe asked as she placed her fork down carefully on her plate. 

Valentina looked at Juliana expectantly. 

“We haven’t really talked about it.” Juliana commented with a lift of one shoulder.

“Are you free? I wasn’t sure if you had plans.” Valentina leaned forward slightly as she spoke, her hands resting in her lap.

“No, I’m free.” 

Juliana thought _I’m always free to spend time with you_ or _just try and keep me away_ might have been a little overkill in front of Lupe. 

“Okay. Do you want to hang out?” Valentina asked, a little too enthusiastically.

“Yeah, I’d love to.” Juliana scrunched up her nose as Valentina smirked at her. Of course they would spend the day together. It was a Saturday, and neither had work. Juliana couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do than be in Valentina’s presence. 

She turned to look out the window. It looked like a beautiful day outside and she was craving some fresh air.

“Maybe we can go to the park?” She suggested.

“That sounds perfect.”

“Well, aren’t you two sweet.” Lupe commented as she began stacking their plates together. “Why don’t you two go and get ready. I’ll clean up.”

“Ma, it’s okay. You cooked. I’ll help clean.” Juliana dropped the leg she had been holding and pushed her chair back in order to help out.

“Juli, no. You two go and spend some time together.” Lupe replied with a twitch of her head.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

~

Two showers, three outfit changes and an hour later, Juliana and Valentina reappeared in the living room. If they could keep their hands off one another, it wouldn’t have taken so long. Juliana had to lock the bathroom door to ensure Valentina wouldn’t follow her inside after a particularly intense make out session against the bedroom door. As much as she’d love to have Valentina with her in the shower, all wet and naked, there was no chance she was risking it.

“You two are looking much better.” Lupe smiled from her position on the couch. 

“Do you need me to bring anything home?” Juliana asked as she rummaged through her bag, ensuring she hadn’t forgotten anything.

“No, everything is fine. You two just enjoy yourselves.”

“Thanks, ma. See you later.”

“Thanks for a lovely breakfast, Lupe. I’ll see you next time.” Valentina called out with a flash of a signature charismatic Carvajal smile. 

“You’re welcome, Valentina. Come by anytime! Bye, girls.” Lupe finished with a wave.

Juliana opened the door and followed Valentina out of the apartment. As soon as the door was shut, Valentina clasped Juliana’s hand in her own. 

“Do you think she suspects anything?” Valentina asked as they walked together down the corridor. 

“No, I don’t think so.” Juliana squeezed Valentina’s hand affectionately.

As they rounded the corner of the hallway, they literally bumped into someone. They separated as Juliana stumbled backwards from the force of another person running straight into her. 

“Shit, sorry.” A deep voice apologized.

As Juliana found her balance, she looked up to find George standing before her, one arm outstretched towards her. He yanked at the cords in his ears as a look of panic crossed his face. His sandy blonde hair was cut shorter than the last time she saw him. It was swept to one side of his head and was wet with sweat. He was wearing a tight t-shirt, his muscular frame obvious through the fabric. 

“Juli, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I couldn’t hear you coming. I shouldn’t have left my earphones in, that was really stupid. Are you okay?” He seemed genuinely concerned as he tripped over his words, his hand landing firmly on her shoulder in an attempt to steady her. 

Juliana stood up straighter and shot a look towards Valentina. She was standing to the side, her mouth twisted slightly as she watched the boy intently. Juliana focused back on George and nodded her head. 

“It’s fine, George. I’m okay.”

“I just went for a run.” He commented as his thumb pointed over his shoulder. That would explain the sweat. “I didn’t hear you coming. I’ll try to be more careful next time.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Juliana raised her eyebrows and looked at him sympathetically, willing the boy to calm down. 

He took in a deep breath and stepped back, clearly satisfied that Juliana was okay. He regarded her properly then, his eyes sweeping across her body as a smile formed on his face. 

“It’s been a while, Juli. You haven’t been around much lately.” 

“Yeah, I’ve been a little busy with work.” She brushed off the comment, hoping he didn’t delve any deeper.

“I missed your birthday, didn’t I?”

Juliana threw a nervous glance to Valentina, but she still wasn’t paying any attention to her. Her eyes were still glued on George, one eyebrow raised and her lips puckered. She didn’t look very impressed. 

“It was yesterday. It’s no big deal.”

Before Juliana could refuse, George swept her up in a tight hug. 

“Well, happy birthday!” He said cheerfully as he lifted her up and kissed her cheek before placing her back on the ground just as fast. 

His grin was even wider when he stepped back. “What are you doing today? Would you like to celebrate? We can grab some lunch, maybe?”

“Sorry, George. I’m actually heading out with my friend.” 

Juliana gestured towards Valentina. 

Juliana wasn’t sure if George just hadn’t noticed Valentina was there before or purposefully ignored her, but he turned and looked at her with surprise. 

“Oh, hi. It’s nice to meet you. I’m George, Juli’s next door neighbor.” He extended his hand towards Valentina in greeting, flashing her his most charming smile.

“Valentina.” Valentina replied curtly, taking the boys hand politely. 

George nodded his head in acknowledgement and shifted his attention straight back to Juliana. It was odd because often Valentina, without ever really wanting it, generally commandeered all the attention in a room. Not only was she drop-dead gorgeous, but she was also well known in Mexico. Her family wealthy and famous, and she had also appeared on the front cover of a range of magazines since she was 16. But George didn’t seem to pay her any more notice than any other person off the street. 

“Well, I guess I’ll just see you around another time then, hey?”

“Sure, George. It was nice to see you.” Juliana offered him a polite smile before stepping around him. 

She tipped her head in the direction of the exit as she finally caught Valentina’s eye. A firm grasp on her upper arm stopped her from walking on. She turned to find George looking at her seriously. She felt Valentina move closer to her. 

“I’ve missed seeing you around, Juli. Come and see me whenever.” George’s green eyes crinkled at the edges as he flashed her a small smile.

Juliana felt a little bad for the boy. They had been such good friends when Juliana first moved to the city. He was really the first person around her age that she met in Mexico, and he was kind to her when others wouldn’t give her the time of day. But the last time Juliana saw him, she used him as a distraction and hadn’t contacted him since. That wasn’t fair.

“I will. Have a nice day.” Juliana replied with a close-lipped smile, desperate to get out of the awkward situation she found herself in. 

George let go of his gentle grip on her arm and tilted his head in goodbye. He reached for his dangling earphones and turned as he pushed them into his ears, walking down the corridor towards his apartment. 

Juliana’s hand was taken by Valentina’s as soon as George’s back was turned. She turned to look at the blue-eyed girl. Her brow was furrowed in distaste, her tongue tracing her teeth in the way she only did when she was bothered. Juliana knew exactly what was coming. 

“Who is George?” Valentina stated more than questioned.

Juliana snorted. “That guy.” She said as she turned her head to watch George disappear into his apartment. “My neighbor.”

“You two seem very familiar.” Valentina was fishing for information, and she wasn’t very subtle about it.

Juliana shrugged her shoulders and huffed out a half-laugh. She hadn’t disclosed any information about George to Valentina. She wasn’t hiding anything, but it just never came up. Now, she was a little nervous about how Valentina might react.

“We met when Lupe and I first moved to the city. He was really nice to me. He became my first friend here. I think he took pity on me and my pathetic life, so he showed me around and helped me out.”

Valentina arched a brow, encouraging Juliana to divulge everything. She was silent as her gaze refused to break.

“Okay, fine. We used to sleep together. It was only ever a casual thing. As he said, we haven’t seen one another in ages. It just sort of faded out when I met someone else.”

Valentina tilted her head as her eyes shifted between Juliana’s.

“I knew it. The way he looked at you...” Valentina trailed off.

Juliana chuckled and shook her head dismissively; a little pleased that Valentina seemed annoyed at this new information.

“He’s very good looking.” Valentina commented. She was trying to be flippant about it, but it was clearly an attempt to get Juliana to talk more.

Juliana gave Valentina an amused look. “You don’t think I can pull a good looking guy?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Juliana smirked at Valentina’s jealousy. It kind of turned her on that Valentina was reacting this way. Her hand was still held firmly in Valentina’s grip and she had somehow shuffled closer during their exchange. Her eyes were alight, a hint of unease tainting the edges of her expression. 

“Val, you have nothing to worry about. I thought I’d made that very clear by now.”

Valentina puffed out her cheeks and released a heavy breath. Her expression softened as she twisted her lips. 

“I know. It’s just –“

Juliana licked her lips at Valentina’ sudden bashfulness. Valentina’s gaze moved to the floor and she swung their joined hands in the air. It was clear she was nervous. 

“It’s just what?” Juliana urged Valentina to finish her sentence. 

Valentina looked up and leveled her gaze at Juliana.

“It’s just that I wish we could do this properly. I don’t want to hide you anymore. I want to just be with you, so everyone knows you’re mine.” 

Juliana took in another deep breath. She wasn’t quite in safe waters just yet, her stomach churning at the prospect of things loosening from her grip, spiraling out of control. She didn’t want to admit it to Valentina, but she was terrified of this all coming crashing down the moment the rest of the world knew. She too was tried of sneaking around, of the constant nagging in the back of her mind about when they were going to be caught. 

Occasionally, when Juliana found herself swept up in a daydream, she conjured up all kinds of reactions they may expect when it all inevitably came to light. She dreamed of their families hugging them, supporting them, smiling at them. She dreamed of standing by Valentina’s side as the world cheered them on. 

But, without a doubt, her mind would play tricks on her. She would find herself toppling into thoughts that would make her stomach twist, her jaw clench. She would imagine their families turning their backs on them, of people closest to them forbidding their relationship, of being forced to separate. She tried to imagine her life without Valentina, and to Juliana, it was bleak and lonely. It is undoubtedly a life she doesn’t want to live. She does her best to push those soul-crushing thoughts away, but they are always there, simmering below the surface. 

For the time being, she was happy in their little bubble of bliss, silently petrified of the day it popped.

This wasn’t exactly a conversation she wanted to have under the flickering lights in the hallway of her apartment block. She cleared her throat and tried to navigate her way around this topic of conversation. She needed to appease Valentina, while at the same time locking down her own anxiety surrounding their coming out and fear of subsequently being torn apart. 

“I want that too, Val. I really do. But now just isn’t the right time.”

“Why not?” Valentina replied quickly. “We just have to tell our families and –“

“Val, have you thought about this?”

“Yeah.” Valentina replied with a resolute nod of her head. “Haven’t you?”

“Of course I have. But I mean, have you really thought about it. Have you thought about the effects this could have on your family, on your career? People aren’t exactly accepting of this kind of lifestyle.” Juliana was desperate for Valentina to see the logic behind their keeping silent. 

“I don’t care whether people accept it or not. I just want to be with you.” Valentina spoke quietly, her body nearly pressing against Juliana’s. She was so close Juliana could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. Her free hand rested against Valentina’s hip, holding her there, never wanting to let go.

“I know, babe. I want to be with you too, believe me. But we can’t right now. I need this job, and I have a feeling they aren’t going to want me around once they find out I’ve been sleeping with you.”

“It’s not like you’ve done it on the job.”

Juliana raised both eyebrows in protest. 

“Okay.” Valentina conceded, a small smile lingering on her lips. “But they were your breaks. You’re entitled to do what you like on your breaks.”

“Val, c’mon.” Juliana complained.

“What’s wrong?”

Juliana slumped her shoulders and hung her head. Her fingers pushed through her hair uneasily before falling limply by her side.

Valentina’s knuckles brushed gently against her cheekbone, just below her eye. Her thumb traced the shell of her ear, running the length of her neck before slowly wrapping around her shoulders. Juliana let herself be pulled into Valentina, her own arms linking around Valentina’s waist. She closed her eyes and breathed her in, letting Valentina’s scent calm her. Valentina pressed kisses along the side of Juliana’s face and into her hair as she tightened their embrace. 

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own head I forget to consider everything else going on. This doesn’t just concern me.”

“Val, I want to. I do. I want to be with you so bad it hurts.” Juliana’s voice wavered as she spoke. She wasn’t sure where this wave of emotion was coming from.

“We will be, Juls. When the timing is right, we will be.” Valentina breathed into Juliana’s hair as the palms of her hands rubbed Juliana’s shoulders soothingly. “When we are both ready, we’ll stand together and tell everyone.”

Juliana nodded her head once and nuzzled into Valentina’s neck, pressing a soft kiss there. Valentina pressed her cheek harder against Juliana’s head in response. 

Valentina was so open and thoughtful, so caring and honest, that it made Juliana’s knees wobble in guilt for holding back her own fears. She didn’t want to hold onto this tension all by herself. She knew that if she confided in Valentina, if she expressed her fears over losing control of the situation, if she let it be known her concerns of losing Valentina, they would work through it together. But Juliana wasn’t raised that way. She grew up in a household of secrets and lies, and it became easier to lock her worries away rather than burden them on someone else. With a sigh of resignation, Juliana did just that. 

Old habits die hard.

Eventually, Valentina pulled away, her hands cradling Juliana’s head. A small crease was noticeable between her eyebrows as her eyes roamed over Juliana’s face. Her thumbs softly strummed across Juliana’s jawline and she took another moment to press her forehead against Juliana’s. 

“Come on. Let’s go for a walk. I think we need some fresh air.”

Juliana nodded as they lifted their heads. They shared a smile before continuing their way down the hall, outside the building and into the humid summer air. 

~

Juliana pulled up outside the address she had been given. She leant over the steering wheel as she peered up at the abandoned building. A mix-match of scaffolding was attached to the front of the structure. Long sheets of plastic that covered the windows flapped around in the breeze, a rippling sound resounding down to the street. It was abundantly clear that the renovations that were supposed to be occurring hadn’t been in operation for some time. 

“Is this the right place?” Juliana asked.

“Yep, sure is.” Guille replied as he locked his phone and tucked it into his jacket pocket. “Would you mind coming in with me? I’d like your opinion on something.”

“My opinion on what?” Juliana questioned as she turned to look at Guille. 

Guille pushed his sunglasses from his hair down onto his face and held onto the door handle. 

“Just come with me, will you?” He chuckled as the door handle clicked. 

Before Juliana could respond, he had already disappeared onto the sidewalk. 

Juliana quickly joined him, fumbling with the car keys as she walked swiftly to the entrance of the building. 

Guille parted the plastic entrance and unlocked the giant front door before pushing it open. He stepped aside and gestured for Juliana to walk in first with a tip of his head. 

The main entry was grand, but very much incomplete. It had high ceilings, with natural light from the enormous windows at the front of the building washing the room in light. The walls were bare and in dire need of a fresh coat of paint. Wiring hung from the ceiling while stacks of tiles and other miscellaneous building materials were dumped in random areas of the room. 

“The printing room would be behind the reception desk, which would be just there.” Guille pointed at the wall between two beams directly opposite the entrance. 

“Follow me.” Guille strode past two elevators and towards a door at the end of the room. He held the door open for Juliana before continuing up a set of concrete stairs. 

“The elevators aren’t working at the moment, so I hope you don’t mind the long way up.”

“How long are we talking?” Juliana quizzed. 

“This building is only five stories high.” Guille commented as his index finger pointed into the air.

“Let me guess. We’re going to the top?” 

“That would be correct.” Guille winked over his shoulder as he followed the metal railing around the bend and up another set of steps. 

They were silent as they climbed the five levels to the top floor. Juliana did her best to cover her embarrassing increase in breathing, but they laughed at one another once they exchanged a look of relief as they reached the top floor. Guille was panting just as much as Juliana as he pushed open the heavy white door. 

“This is where the offices would go.” He stated heavily as they stepped into a large, empty, open plan space. 

The same huge windows stretching across the entire front of the building lit up the space with beautiful natural light. Even without electrical lighting, Juliana could see way back to the end of the room. The same wooden beams from downstairs were interspersed throughout, offering warmth in contrast to the white of the walls and ceilings. The only other objects were a few random chairs, buckets of paint and a couple of random tools scattered around the area. 

“What was this place?” Juliana asked as she stepped forward, her voice echoing around the empty room. 

“It was being renovated by a large shipment company for their headquarters in the city. They ended up going bust, so this building has just sat here empty for over a year.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Juliana replied casually. A small piece of dry wall scattered across the room when her shoe accidentally kicked it. 

“Yes, for them, I guess it is. For us, not so much.” Guille noted as he slid his hands into his suit pockets. 

“Why’s that?” Juliana queried as they continued to slowly walk towards the large windows. 

“Well, we got it for dirt cheap and we’re currently planning on finishing some of those renovations.”

“Oh, cool.” 

Juliana chewed the inside of her cheek as they reached the front of the building. She peered through the windows, but wasn’t able to see much through the plastic wrapping and large scaffolding that was blocking her view. 

She turned to look at Guille, who was already observing her with a kind smile. His brown hair was styled so it looked like he hadn’t styled it. His beard was quite thick now, almost black, and it made a scratching noise as he ran his hand through it. She was confused about her request to join him. None of this really made sense. Her eyes shifted nervously around the room as the silence continued. 

“So what did you need me here for?” Juliana finally asked.

Guille smirked as his index finger and thumb continued to massage his beard. 

“So, I’d like your opinion. Papa was obviously the one who bought this place, but instead of making it offices for El Centro, he wants to branch off and start a new magazine.”

“Okay.” Juliana said slowly, following along as best she could. 

“This magazine would be online and offline, print and digital. It would be more centered on the world of the arts, rather than the news. It would focus on celebrities, TV and movies, music, beauty tips, fashion design – all that kind of thing.” He explained with a flick of his hand.

“That sounds great.”

“That’s right. It’s perfect. It’s exactly what the company needs. Something targeting the younger audience, keeping us relevant and in the game.”

“Makes sense.” Juliana agreed. 

“The thing is – “ Guille began, raising his eyebrows and pausing. 

“I’m guessing this is where my thoughts come in?” Juliana pondered with a tilt of her head. 

“Correct.” Guille nodded his head with a smile. “The thing is, Dad bought it for Valentina.”

Juliana was a little shocked at where this conversation had led them. She couldn’t understand why Guille would require her thoughts on anything to do with the family business, let alone a particular issue involving Leon and his daughter. Her eyes widened at the comment and she raised her shoulders in confusion. Guille failed to elaborate on what exactly he wanted Juliana to say.

“What has that got to do with me?” She asked hesitantly.

“Papa is reluctant to spend all this money on a magazine he wants Vale to run if she isn’t up to it. Instead of doing the sensible thing and just asking Vale himself, he is holding back from this great business venture from going ahead. I want to convince him otherwise, but I need a kind of push that this is the right decision.” Guille concluded.

“So, why don’t you just ask Valentina?”

“Because then dad will know I’ve spoken to her about it. It’s meant to be a surprise.” Guille stepped back and leaned on one of the wooden beams with a shoulder, his ankles crossed. His arms were folded in front of him as he continued to explain the predicament he was in. 

“I don’t really know what you want me to say.” Juliana responded slowly. She was still very much confused about how she could help Guille.

Guille blinked at Juliana a few times, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Juliana continued to stand still in front of him, her expression one of bewilderment. 

“Vale has always been a little closed-lipped about the whole ‘following in the family footsteps’ thing. Papa pushed her into studying journalism, and we all know it’s not something she would have chosen for herself. He’s nervous about buying into this magazine, and then for Vale to finish her degree and refuse to engage in the family business.”

Juliana nodded her head to indicate she was following along. 

“What do you think? Do you think Vale would agree to something like this?” He asked as he looked around the vacant room. “She only has one year left to go and if we get started now, we should have this up and running by the time she graduates.”

Juliana licked her lips as her brain tried to formulate a response. 

“Look, Guille. I don’t really think it’s my place to say anything about all this.” Juliana was trying to be as respectful as possible without meddling in Carvajal affairs. 

“Juliana, I know you and Vale are close.” He said with an arch of a heavy eyebrow.

Juliana opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She wasn’t entirely sure what Guille meant by the comment. Was he onto them, or was he just making a comment that he noticed they had become good friends? She felt the rush of adrenaline through her veins at the chance she was about to be called out. 

“I know she tells you things, shares things with you that she wouldn’t anyone else. So, I just want you to tell me what you think, that’s all.”

Juliana shifted on her feet as her fingers pushed at an eyebrow. She thought back to all of their conversations about the future, and tried to envision Valentina’s reaction to this news. She tried her best to look calm and collected, but internally she was screaming. She had to come up with something here while keeping her composure. 

“All I can tell you is Valentina mentioned a few weeks ago about actually enjoying her internship this summer. She was happy to be going to work, to be learning the ropes.”

Guille nodded his head and scratched at his neck. 

“That’s good to hear. I know papa worries that he’s crushing her dreams by enrolling her in a degree she wasn’t particularly passionate about.”

“When I first met her, she didn’t seem super interested. But I think this internship has helped stoke the fire. Her face lights up whenever she talks about it.” 

“Not as much as her face lights up when she talks about you, I bet.” Guille replied quickly, the same little smirk playing at the corner of his face. 

Juliana shook her head minutely, her breath caught in her chest. 

Guille chuckled then, his whole head falling back as his laughter echoed off the blank walls. Juliana tried to join in to make it look as though she also enjoyed the joke, but the only sound that came out of her mouth were nervous chuckles. She knew she wasn’t very convincing. Her hands came to fiddle in front of her, her fingertips kneading into her knuckles as Guille’s laughter faded into a large smile. 

“That’s not - I don’t know –“ Juliana stumbled over her words, trying to form some sort of deflection from the uncomfortable position she found herself in.

“Don’t worry, Juliana. Whatever it is that’s going on with you two, I’m cool with it. She’s been a much more bearable human since you’ve entered the picture. It’s been nice, actually. And Lucho was such an asshole. Vale can do a whole lot better than him.” 

Guille’s eyes widened slightly and his chin jutted out as he spoke. It was obvious he was referring to Juliana. 

This was something Juliana certainly didn’t expect when she picked Guille up this afternoon. How Guille had cottoned onto their relationship, Juliana had no idea. Even though he was clearly accepting of whatever he thought was going on, there was no way she was admitting to that right here. Not only had the two women just discussed not telling other people just yet, it also wasn’t Juliana’s place to out Valentina to her brother. She gulped down whatever saliva was still in her mouth and cleared her throat. 

“Nothing is going on with us.” Juliana stammered with a wave of her hand.

Guille just continued to watch her, his brown eyes glinting with understanding. 

She had never been a good liar. 

The silence stretched between them. Juliana refused to budge, firm in the clench of her jaw and unwavering stare. She would do anything to protect Valentina and their secret. Eventually, Guille twitched his lips and caved. 

“Okay. I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.” Guille said gently as he pushed himself off the beam he had been leaning against. A kind smile showed Juliana that he wasn’t going to pursue it any further.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and turned, walking slowly back towards the door they had come in from. 

“So, you think Valentina might actually like this?” Guille asked as he pushed open the white door, holding it ajar as Juliana approached. He sounded hopeful. 

“I don’t want to speak for her, but I think there’s a chance she’ll like the idea. I guess you won’t find out unless you try.” Juliana spoke boldly as she passed Guille, entering the stairwell. 

The door slammed behind them as their shoes clacked against the concrete, the way down much less labor-intensive than the climb up. This time, Juliana held the door for Guille as they re-entered the main foyer. 

“Thank you for accompanying me here.”

“It’s no problem. In fact, it’s my job.” Juliana stated with a shy smile as she waited for Guille to lock the front door. 

“Well it isn’t your job to provide me with advice or help me solve a problem, so I appreciate your thoughts on the matter.”

Guille climbed into the back of the SUV as Juliana rounded the front of the vehicle and got in. 

She busied herself with clipping in her seatbelt and turning over the ignition, the back of her head burning with Guille’s gaze. 

“I’m sorry if I overstepped earlier.” Guille said quietly.

“It’s really fine, sir.” Juliana replied as she adjusted the air conditioner. She didn’t want to talk about it again. In fact, she wanted to forget this whole conversation had ever happened. She hoped she’d played it cool enough that Guille would also forget about it.

“No, it’s not. It’s none of my business and I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”

“Thank you, sir.” Juliana could feel her heart beating hard in her chest. 

She pulled off the park break and moved the vehicle into gear. 

“But I wasn’t lying, you know.” Guille spoke softly, to the point where Juliana had to strain to hear him. 

“About what, sir?” Juliana asked as her eyes flicked up to meet Guille’s in the rear-vision mirror. 

“About Vale’s face lighting up when she talks about you.” Guille answered with a smile. 

All Juliana could manage was a slight nod of her head. She focused her attention on moving the vehicle into traffic, ignoring the sweat collecting on her palms and brow. 

~

“Thank you all for coming here today, even in your time off.” Leon announced as he stood in front of the collection of Carvajal employees.

Javier stood beside Leon, hands clasped in front, a serious expression on his face. 

“I just want to debrief you on a few things going on at the moment.” Leon continued. 

He looked tired, his eyes sunken into his skull, the bags underneath dark. He was thinner than normal, his casual clothes hanging a little looser around his frame. His hair was askew, as if he’d run his fingers through it one too many times. 

Juliana stood in the large garage with the rest of the staff dedicated to the running of the Carvajal household. It was strange, seeing everyone in the same room. More people worked on running this household than she expected, some of which she had never laid eyes on before. Drivers, house staff, and the security team all stood awkwardly together, whispers of what could possibly be the cause of the urgent meeting silenced as Leon entered the room. 

Juliana shifted her weight on her feet as her hands linked behind her. She wasn’t sure what this meeting was about, but she didn’t have a good feeling about it. 

“I am in the process of editing a huge story that will go to print next week. I can’t tell you what it’s about, or who it involves, but it could mean some unwanted attention might be directed our way.” 

Leon cleared his throat, his gaze intense as he looked over each person standing before him. 

“We’ll be ramping up security as a precaution. Each of you will be required to wear a wristband which will get you in and out of the property.” Javier held up a simple black band as Leon spoke. “A new security system is being installed as we speak. You will need to hover the wristband over the black security pads now located at each entrance to the property to be granted access. It is imperative you keep these on you at all times when working.”

“You will each be allocated a family member to shadow. This will eliminate any problems of not knowing where each person is at all times. Two people will be assigned one Carvajal family member, so you are able to cover each other during your time off.” Javier explained. “It may mean you will be required to work longer hours than usual, and we apologize for that in advance.”

“That’s right. But you will be compensated accordingly.” Leon added. 

“What kinds of things should we be looking out for?” Hernando, a fellow employee, asked with a raised hand. 

Leon raked his hand through his already ruffled hair and shared a look with Javier. 

“You will need to be on high alert. Any suspicious activity you see needs to be reported immediately. Obviously, it’s important we continue doing business as normal, but you just need to be more mindful of what’s going on around you.” Javier clarified. 

“I am forever grateful for your dedication and commitment to keeping my family and our estate safe.” Leon spoke as he pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket. “Now, Hernando and Maria, you will be with Eva. Carlos and David, you will be with Guille. Martha and Daniel, you will be accompanying Lucia everywhere she goes. Victor and Luis will be with myself. Alejandro and Juliana, you have been assigned to Valentina.”

Juliana released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding onto. She glanced sideways at Alejandro who nodded in acknowledgement, before she turned her attention back towards Leon. 

_Valentina._

Thank God. 

Juliana knew she wouldn’t have been able to focus or concentrate on doing her job properly if there was some kind of threat posed towards the family and she wasn’t near Valentina. 

“I have to get going now. But if you have any questions, Javier should be able to answer them for you.” Leon shook Javier’s hand before turning and leaving the large garage. 

As soon as the door was shut, hushed whispers and worried glances rippled through the group. It was clear everyone was on edge, unsure of what was going on or what they may be dealing with. 

“Okay, everyone, calm down.” Javier called as he waved his hands in the air.

It didn’t take long for the group to settle and focus on Javier. 

“Leon has given us a couple of hours to go over a few things.”

Juliana glanced behind her to the office where her phone sat. She was itching to speak to Valentina, to ensure she was okay. She wasn’t sure how long this would go on for, but she knew she wouldn’t be getting much rest for as long as Valentina’s safety was at risk. 

“We’ll go through some situations and discuss how to deal with each one. We’ve also got an instructor coming in to go over some basic self-defense moves.” 

Juliana’s stomach clenched as she took in Javier’s face and the meaning behind his words. If Leon was going to the extent of teaching his staff how to get out of physical scenarios, it was serious stuff.

“But first, we’ll issue the security bands. If you could all follow me, please.” 

Juliana vowed to herself that she would do whatever possible to keep Valentina safe. If learning self-defense moves would help, then she would be the best at it. She clenched her hands into fists as she joined the group following Javier out of the large garage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't worry.... I promise it'll have a happy ending!


	16. Thump

_Thump, thump, thump._

Juliana was conscious of the steady pounding of her feet on the pavement. She had set such a thundering pace that it felt as if her feet were barely touching the ground. The slight burn in her calves, the throbbing inside her chest, the heavy intake of breath and the gradual tightness in her shoulders made her feel alive. She licked her lips and sucked in more oxygen as her feet continued to kiss the concrete path below. She pushed herself harder, wiping the sweat from her forehead as it threatened to sting her eyes. 

Although Juliana had begun her run just as the sun was peeking between the city buildings, it was already filthy hot outside. She pumped her arms faster, forced her legs to work quicker, as she rounded the final corner to her apartment. 

She felt the kick, the need to finish the run on a sprint, to feel the scorching heat throughout her limbs and chest. The loud beat of the music in her ears spurred her on, her body falling into the same quick tempo. She flew down the final hundred meters, easily dodging oncoming pedestrians on their way to work. 

Juliana pulled to a sudden stop outside the single glass door of her apartment block. She hunched over, her hands resting on her knees, as her lungs gasped for more air, her blood screaming for oxygen. She lifted her sweaty shirt, using the edge to wipe the beads of sweat off her face as she paced around in circles, her legs shaky and unable to cease movement just yet. As her heart rate settled slightly and her body no longer ached for more air, she placed her hands on hips and made her way inside. 

She reached for her phone and turned the blaring music down to a more reasonable level as she climbed the stairs to her floor. 

It had been a week since Leon had divulged his fear of possible threats aimed at his family in the fallout of an article he was about to publish. Since then, Juliana had increased her pretty poor exercise routine. She wasn’t sleeping as well as normal, so she was taking the early mornings to fit in a run before it got too hot. Not only did it help increase her fitness, but it also provided her with a much needed distraction. 

She opened a text on her phone as she opened the door to the apartment she shared with her mother. 

“Hey, Lupe. I’m home.” She called out without looking up, closing the door behind her. 

Her head was bent, fingers sliding across the screen as she typed out her words. With her earphones still in, she walked towards her bedroom blindly. 

“God dammit.” Juliana groaned, her teeth clenched in pain. 

Her left hand let go of her phone as she clutched at her shin. It only took a glance down to realize that she’d walked straight into the edge of the coffee table. She yanked at her earphones and threw her connected phone onto the couch as she suppressed the tears welling in her eyes. 

_“Stupid fucking thing.”_

__Juliana cussed at the inanimate object._ _

____

____

“Are you okay?” 

Juliana’s head snapped up at the sound of the familiar sweet voice.

“Val? What are you doing here?” 

Juliana’s eyes were wide as she took in the sight of Valentina sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen counter, her mother smirking at her from her place in the kitchen. Valentina’s face shifted into a toothy smile at Juliana’s reaction. 

“I thought I’d come and surprise you before I head off to work.” She explained with a small tilt to her head. 

“On that note, I’m heading out. My shift starts in 10 minutes.” Lupe said as she picked up her bag and keys, moving around the kitchen counter. “Lovely to see you, Valentina. And I’ll see you tomorrow, Juli.” 

Within 10 seconds, Lupe was gone. 

Juliana released the pressure she had been applying to her aching shin and straightened as Valentina swiveled off her stool and walked towards her. 

“It looks like you’ve already had a busy morning.” Valentina commented as she lightly touched Juliana’s hot skin. 

“This might be news to you, but you don’t get a bod like this without some hard work.” 

Valentina released a full laugh, a sound Juliana felt in her bones. She reached out automatically and grasped Valentina’s hand, already feeling calmer with the blue-eyed girl in her presence. She’d been feeling so on edge lately, but there was something about Valentina’s touch that grounded her, that kept her sane. 

“How did you get here?” Juliana asked as Valentina’s giggling subdued. 

“I came in an Uber.” 

Juliana’s face dropped. 

“An Uber?” Juliana asked, her voice low in disbelief. 

“Yeah. Why? What’s wrong?” Valentina asked with a puckered forehead.

“Val, you know what’s wrong. Where’s Alejandro?”

“I don’t know. Probably still at home.” Valentina dismissed with a shrug.

“Val, you know what’s going on here. You can’t just sneak out and catch an Uber. How are we supposed to know where you are if you go rogue? How are we supposed to know if you’re safe?”

Valentina stood quietly and regarded Juliana fiercely. She gently squeezed their hands that were still threaded together, her index finger on her free hand continuing to draw mindlessly against Juliana’s collarbone. Juliana felt her expression soften as the silence stretched out.

Juliana hung her head and sighed. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get all crazy. I just worry about you.” 

Valentina’s index finger traced up her neck and tilted her chin, encouraging her to look up. Juliana conceded, her head lifting and finally connecting with piercing blue. She could see the storm swelling inside them. It was the only sign that Valentina was the least bit concerned with everything going on. For all of Valentina’s outward positivity and excitement, sometimes it was difficult to see through the mask. But Juliana could see the subtle signs, and her heart clenched with the thought that Valentina was holding onto her own fear. 

“I need you to be more careful with everything going on. You can’t just dodge the drivers anymore, baby.” Juliana’s drew her eyebrows together in concern as she pleaded with Valentina. 

“I know.” Valentina replied quietly, her face drawing closer to Juliana’s.

“Please don’t put yourself in danger. I don’t know if I could live with myself if anything ever happened to you.” 

Valentina shook her hand loose from Juliana’s and pulled her into a crushing hug, wrapping her long arms around Juliana’s shoulders. Her chin rested in the nook between Juliana’s neck as she took in a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry for worrying you.” She whispered before placing a soft kiss against warm skin.

Juliana closed her eyes, the throbbing in her shin all but forgotten. She breathed in, settling her rising nerves as she relished in Valentina’s closeness. She could feel Valentina’s chest rise and fall against her as chestnut hair tickled her face. A part of her wanted to warn Valentina of her sweaty body, but it was clear the taller girl didn’t mind. They stood in comfortable silence as they held one another tightly. 

“Are you going to tell me what the article is about yet?” Juliana asked warily as she pulled out of the hug. 

Valentina’s lips twitched slightly. 

“You know I can’t yet. It’ll be released tomorrow and you and the rest of Mexico will know.” Valentina mused as her thumb traced softly over Juliana’s eyebrow.

Juliana nodded reluctantly. She had been trying to pull information out of Valentina since this all started, but if Valentina was anything, it was loyal. She had sworn to Leon that she wouldn’t release any information regarding the breaking story, and she had stood firmly on that promise. If Juliana wasn’t so annoyed, she’d be impressed. 

Valentina looked down at her watch quickly and bit her lip. 

“I should probably get Alejandro over here. I need to be at work in 30 minutes.”

Valentina released Juliana out of her hold and slipped her hand into her handbag that was sitting on the couch. Juliana took the opportunity to walk into the kitchen and grab a drink of water, watching as Valentina’s slender fingers thrummed along her phone screen. 

Juliana pulled a long draw out of the water bottle she’d retrieved from the refrigerator. The cool water was refreshing, almost burning as it slid down her throat. She licked her lips as Valentina looked up at her, locking her phone and throwing it back towards the couch. 

“How are you going to explain this?” Juliana asked as she motioned between them, before lifting the bottle to her mouth once more. 

Valentina’s shoulders relaxed somewhat as she leaned her hip against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, a small smile on her face. 

“I’ve asked him to pick me up from the café down the road.” 

“Smart move.” Juliana said as she dropped her almost empty bottle to the counter. 

Valentina scrunched up her nose. “Yeah, I guess.”

Juliana left her place and moved toward Valentina, sliding her arms around the slim girl. Valentina didn’t move from her position, making it difficult for Juliana to get too close. 

“Babe, we’ve talked about this." Juliana cooed. "I want everyone to know about us, but we have to be careful now, especially with all this extra drama going on. I don’t want you to be in any more danger if this all comes out and people aren’t happy with it. Plus, I don’t want to be away from you while I know there could be some threats coming your way.”

“I know.” 

“I promise, once this is all over, we’ll tell our families.” Juliana said softly, moving her face so Valentina couldn’t avoid her eye contact any longer. 

The blue-eyed girl huffed before unfolding her arms and pressing her palms against Juliana’s cheeks. 

“It’s just so hard. I want everyone to know about us now.” Valentina whispered. 

“Me too.” Juliana said with complete sincerity. 

Valentina held Juliana’s face in her hands for another moment before taking a deep breath and changing the subject. 

“How did you meeting with Rafaela go yesterday?” She asked with a crinkle of a smile.

Rafaela, the contact in the fashion industry Leon had spoken to Juliana about some time ago, had finally organized a meeting with Juliana to go over some of her designs. She had been hard at work creating a design portfolio with samples for multiple weeks in between working for the Carvajal’s. To say it had been stressful was an understatement, but Juliana was never one to shy away from hard work. 

Juliana couldn’t help the shy smile that appeared, her eyes looking away. 

She didn’t know why she felt embarrassed about talking about her hopes and dreams. Maybe it was due to no-one ever really caring enough to ask, or because she wanted it so badly, she didn’t want to jinx it by talking about it. But she could tell Valentina had a genuine vested interest and really wanted to know. 

“From what I could tell, she really liked my portfolio. She’s going to take it to the next board meeting and contact me if I’ve been successful.”

Valentina squealed and pulled Juliana in for another crushing hug.

“That’s amazing! I knew you’d crush it. I’m so happy for you.” 

“Val, I can’t breath.” Juliana gasped as she tapped Valentina on the back. 

“Oh. Sorry.” Valentina said sheepishly, pulling away but not quite letting go.

“No, come back here.” Juliana murmured as she drew Valentina in for a kiss. 

It wasn’t a particularly deep kiss, but it was soft and gentle. Their lips moved together tenderly as they drank one another in. Juliana pressed their lower bodies together, her hands resting delicately against the small of Valentina’s back. Valentina held Juliana’s face close, her warm fingers gliding across soft skin.

Soon enough, Juliana pulled away for air, knowing her threshold and stopping while she still had the sense to. 

“Come on. I’ll walk you to the café. I want a juice and I’m meeting Alex for a class soon anyway.” Juliana commented as she pressed a few attentive kissed to Valentina’s jawline. 

“What kind of class?”

“Just a fitness class.” Juliana decided to tell a small white lie to avoid further questioning. She had dragged Alex along to self-defense classes every morning for a week. She didn’t want to worry Valentina, or answer her line of questioning when she admitted to taking the class.

“I wish I could stay here with you all day.” Valentina grumbled as her hand cupped the back of Juliana’s neck. 

“Me too, baby.” 

Valentina yelped as Juliana bit a little too harshly against her pulse point. Juliana grinned devilishly against Valentina’s neck when she felt the taller woman pull her closer. She pressed one more soft kiss against fluttering skin before retreating. 

“Come on, beautiful. Let’s go.” Juliana said as she stepped away and picked up Valentina’s handbag. She offered her hand to Valentina who quickly slid their palms together. 

“I’ll buy you a juice.” Juliana promised with a grin.

~

Juliana’s hands shook as her grip tightened around the broadsheet. The edges of the newspaper crinkled against her palm as her hands balled into fists. 

**Drug cartels cause havoc across our city**

The headline wasn’t what triggered the tension radiating from Juliana’s body. The photos accompanying the article sent a surge of adrenaline shooting through her veins. Her heart rate spiked, and the sweat she had already accumulated on her run dripped off the tip of her nose, her breathing ragged and hoarse. It seemed as if the world slowed around her, the sounds of people walking the street and honking their horns muted. 

To the left of the article gracing the front page of Leon’s famous newspaper were seven images, or what Juliana would describe more accurately as mug shots, of different dangerous looking men. To her dismay, she recognized four of the men. The night at the trailer over four years ago, the same night she found out the truth about her father, flashed before her eyes. 

She remembered looking down at her father kneeling in the dirt, bound and hopeless. She gagged as she recalled the smell of cigarettes clinging to the strange men, beady eyes leering at her, the tongue that licked up her face. She could still hear the gruff voices of the men threatening her father, and the strain in Chino’s expression when he finally admitted to Juliana’s accusations. Juliana remembered the moment her world rocked, the ultimate realization that this man she and Lupe had been living with her whole life was involved in something so sinister, so fundamentally immoral and wicked, that it made her head spin. 

Now, laid out before her on the front page of the most popular newspaper in all of Mexico were the faces of the three criminals at the trailer that night, right next to a photo of her father. 

Before she knew it, Juliana had climbed the stairs and staggered through the front door to the apartment she shared with her mother. 

“Morning, mija.” Lupe greeted merrily from her place in the kitchen. 

Juliana walked slowly towards her, the broadsheet still clenched in her vice-like grip. She was yet to read the article. The headline and images were enough for Juliana to figure out what it was about. 

“Juli, what’s wrong?” Lupe questioned, her coffee mug dropping to the counter as she took in her daughters expression. 

Without speaking, Juliana held out the newspaper for her mother to take. Lupe gasped as she too laid eyes on Chino, her hand coming to rest over her mouth in shock. 

“Oh, Jesus.” She muttered under her breath. 

Juliana was only barely registering what Lupe was saying. Phrases such as 'he always knew how to get into trouble' and 'how does he always find his way back into our lives?' were blurred as Juliana’s brain struggled to process exactly what was happening. 

Without a word, Juliana shuffled towards her bathroom. She stripped off her sweaty running clothes and kicked off her worn Nike’s. Her hand was still shaking as she reached out and curled her fingers around the cool metal of the dial. Steam gradually filled the room as Juliana stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes as the thousands of tiny droplets beat into her skin. She felt the water weave through her hair as she tipped her head directly under the stream. She focused on the steady torrent of water falling on her head before cascading down her back and legs. She listened to her breathing, strong and deep, the initial shock finally wearing off. The water was so hot her skin was already red raw, a delicate tingling spreading through her body. 

Two years they had run away from their old life, a life that was no good to live. She had started a new life with Lupe, one full of change and opportunity and experience. A life Juliana never thought she’d have. 

It was no wonder Leon was so nervous about publishing the story. Juliana knew these men could be relentless, ruthless, and downright dangerous. She had seen what they were capable of first hand, she’d felt the fear run like ice through her veins, and she was sure that was only the tip of the iceberg. 

_Valentina._

Juliana felt her knees buckle. She slumped to the floor of the shower, her backside stinging as she landed heavily on the tile. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, holding it together. 

_Valentina._

If anything happened to Valentina at the hands of any of these men…

She couldn’t even finish the thought before a blinding rage overtook her vision. She clenched her jaw and took in a trembling breath, suppressing the bile threatening to rise up her throat. 

Juliana hung her head, her forehead resting on her knees, blistering hot water continuing to spray down on her small form. 

~

Juliana was sure she had almost worn a track around the reception area of the Carvajal Media Group head office. It was just after 7pm, and the sun was finally beginning to dip below the horizon, the buildings surrounding her reflecting a bright orange glow off their endless windows. 

Ever since the release of the article a week ago, the office was bustling with life later and later into the evening. Although Valentina was just an intern, due to her last name also being on the building, she had been thrust into roles of more responsibility in the fallout of Leon’s article on the drug cartels ruling the city streets. Other news outlets had picked up on the momentum Leon’s article drew, with news anchors revealing new angles on the issue and social networking buzzing with trending topics. Leon’s need for extra security turned out to be warranted, with people from all walks of life showing more interest in the Carvajal family than usual. 

Juliana slowed to a stop in front of the large windows at the front of the building. She glanced to her left and locked eyes with David, one of the men assigned to watch over Guille. He sat on one of the simple grey couches sparingly placed in the large area, his body slouched into the plush cushions. His head was sunken between two of the backrests, his ankles crossed as they stretched out before him. The dark bags under his eyes were reflective of all the employees who had been on high alert for over a week. He offered Juliana a small smile and a slight nod of his head. She smiled meekly back at him before catching sight of Maria and Martha huddled on another couch at the other end of the room, locked in what looked to be a fairly intense conversation. Victor, the man assigned to escort Leon himself, was always stationed upstairs with the family members, better able to keep a closer eye on them all. 

Juliana shifted her attention back out onto the street, her arms wrapping around herself as she let her mind wander back to the controversial article. 

Ever since she laid eyes on the images of those men, she had struggled to switch off. She felt drained, emotionally and physically, as she battled with the inner turmoil of whether to come clean to Leon about her direct link to one of the men he had written about. Her father. 

After the initial shock of seeing her fathers face on the front page of the newspaper along with other gang members wore off, she was able to read the editorial thoroughly. It was only the beginning of the story, with Leon releasing further articles every day that week, continuing to highlight the corruption of the local government and lack of safety for its citizens. But what Juliana found most disturbing was the fact that her father wasn’t named as an accomplice to all of these crimes, but as a betrayer of the gang. The article alleged that Chino had stolen a large sum of money and drugs from the group, barely escaped with his life, and was now on the run, hiding from the most dangerous gang in Mexico. 

Juliana had spent the last week trying to process this information and what it meant to her, but she was yet to organize her thoughts and feelings into coherence. She was too on edge, the anxiety surrounding the protection of Valentina at all costs, and the apprehension of coming face to face with these men were not allowing her to think logically. Every time she rounded a corner, she imagined a set of blue eyes glaring at her. But instead of the calm blue of Valentina’s she had been blessed to watch her lovingly these past months, Chino’s were always cold, almost grey in their expression, shallow and often devoid of real emotion. 

A clearing of a throat snapped Juliana out of her jumbled thoughts. 

“Mr Carvajal, sir.” 

David stood and smoothed his suit as he addressed Guille. 

Juliana turned in her spot and watched as Guille and Valentina walked towards them from the elevator. They both looked exhausted themselves, their shoulders bent forward, their feet dragging as they walked. Their clothes were slightly crumpled, but they still somehow looked effortlessly beautiful. It wasn't the first time Juliana appreciated the Carvajal gene pool. 

“David, are we good to go?”

“Yes, sir.” 

David turned on his heel and held out the large glass door open. Guille sent Valentina and Juliana a close-lipped smile and exited the building, followed closely by David. 

“Hey.” Valentina greeted Juliana with a tired smile.

“Hey, beautiful. How was your day?” 

Juliana stopped herself from reaching out and caressing Valentina’s face. She fiddled with the security band wrapped around her wrist in an attempt to keep her hands to herself. 

“Exhausting.” Valentina huffed out with a dramatic tilt of her neck. 

“Shall I take you straight home?” Juliana stepped towards the same glass door, gripping the handle but not yet opening it. 

“Have you eaten dinner?” Valentina stepped beside Juliana, her laptop bag lightly hitting Juliana’s leg. 

It took every ounce of self-control to hold back and not press her lips against Valentina’s. Especially when she was wearing those adorable oversized glasses that were sliding down her nose as Valentina regarded her. 

“Not yet.”

“I’m starving. Let’s go get something to eat first.” Valentina’s eyebrows puckered slightly, almost pleading with Juliana.

Juliana released a breath. They’d both been so busy and preoccupied with other things lately, hardly finding a spare chance to spend any time together. The brief chauffeuring of Valentina to and from work was not enough for either of them.

“Sure.” Juliana replied with a slight nod. 

She tilted her head towards Martha and Maria in goodbye before opening the door. She stepped through but stopped before letting Valentina follow. Her eyes scanned the sidewalk, the crowd of people all but gone at this hour. Once she was sure the scene was safe, Juliana pulled the keys out of her pocket and opened the door for Valentina to pass through. She walked swiftly to the large SUV and opened the passenger door for Valentina, who graciously climbed in, before joining her and maneuvering the vehicle out into the traffic. 

~

“I’ve missed you.” Valentina whispered.

Juliana looked sideways at Valentina. Her blue eyes were slightly bloodshot, her mascara beginning to clump on her eyelashes. She looked wearied, like she could sleep for days. 

Valentina shuffled her body closer, pressing their legs together under the table. Her hand rested on Juliana’s knee, her short fingernails scratching across the fabric of Juliana’s pants playfully. 

“I miss you too.” Juliana replied slowly.

“I know it’s a lot. But you’ve been different lately.”

“What do you mean?” 

Valentina’s eyebrow arched as she lowered her chin, as if the answer should be obvious. 

“You’ve hardly touched your food.” Juliana glanced down at her burger, with one singular bite mark out of the side, her fries untouched. “And you’ve been so on edge. Like, you’re here but you aren’t really here. You know?”

Juliana’s lips twitched into a pout. She scratched behind her ear as tired blue-eyes stayed locked on her. 

“I’m sorry.” Juliana released, her eyes lowering to her lap where her fingers fiddled with the black band Javier issues her two weeks ago. “I’m just so worried about you.”

Valentina’s hand reached up to still Juliana’s fretting, threading her fingers in between Juliana’s. 

“Hey, look at me.” 

Juliana blinked rapidly as she attempted to quell her rising emotions. She knew she was just tired, and that heightened her emotional response, but she felt the lump rising in her throat. She couldn’t let Valentina see the cracks; she wanted to be strong for her. She swallowed thickly before turning her head.

“I feel completely safe with you. Everything is going to be okay. Just be with me, please? I need you here with me.” 

Juliana bit the inside of her cheek as her eyes bounced around Valentina’s face. She was strained and stressed, and the last thing Juliana wanted to do was contribute to Valentina’s worry. She puffed out her cheeks in thought. 

“Okay, yeah. You’re right. I’m here.” She squeezed Valentina hand and relaxed a little further into the booth, her shoulder falling against Valentina's. 

The rest of their meal together was much more lighthearted as they let go of their stress for a while. Juliana simply enjoyed being in Valentina’s presence. Both women were so drained their laughter began to amplify across the small burger bar as their deliriousness kicked in. 

After a smirk from a couple sitting at the booth opposite them, Juliana released Valentina’s hand and pushed her plate away. 

“Come on, it’s time to get you home.” 

She shuffled to the edge of the vinyl wrapped booth seat and stood aside. Valentina got the hint and collected her phone from the wooden table before joining Juliana. 

“Can you stay with me tonight?”

Juliana snorted. 

“I’ll be close by, Val. Don’t worry.”

“You can sneak in. Please? I want you close to me.” Valentina whispered as she leaned in, her warm breath tickling Juliana’s neck. 

Juliana chuckled lightly as she pushed the door open, the heat from the summer air rifling through her hair. She immediately missed the air-conditioned booth they had just been happily sharing. 

“Val.” Juliana chided, drawing her name out the way she knows Valentina likes. 

“It’s been so hot lately I haven’t even needed to wear any pajamas.” Valentina commented with a light veil of nonchalance. 

Juliana’s eyes widened as her neck turned to watch Valentina walking beside her. The image of a naked Valentina was a very difficult one to forget. They hadn’t been together intimately in over a week and Juliana was craving Valentina’s slender body to be pressed up against her. 

She bit her lip, pulling her keys from her pocket. 

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see if that’s tempting enough.” She teased with a wink. 

There was no way she wouldn’t be making a guest appearance in Valentina’s bedroom tonight, but a provoked Valentina was a very sexy Valentina. She felt a swooping in her stomach at the thought of Valentina below her, her flushed skin glistening with sweat as she pushed into a warm tightness, her fingers twitching with the image. 

Juliana let her words sink in as she pressed a button on the key, the black SUV six meters away blinking and beeping in response. 

She felt a warm palm slide against her own, Valentina’s steps easily falling in sync with Juliana’s. She turned to look at Valentina again, a bright smile flashing across her features. Her heart swelled in response, the anxiety and apprehension of the past week melting away as she fell into deep blue shining at her. 

“Juls, I -“

Suddenly everything went black. Juliana’s eyes were open but she couldn’t see anything. Her grip was ripped out of Valentina’s as she felt her body being lifted by large, unfamiliar hands. She gulped in air as she tried to process what was going on. 

A commotion of deep voices cut into Juliana’s shock. A mess of statements filled her senses, grumbles of _hurry up_ , _we got them_ , and _throw them in there_ made their way to Juliana’s brain. 

“What the fuck?” 

It was more of a statement of surprise rather than a question that tumbled from Juliana’s lips. 

“Juls.” Valentina’s cry rang out through the dark.

_“Juliana?”_

She sounded scared and Juliana felt the surge of adrenaline sprint through her bloodstream in response. 

She thrashed around in the grip of whoever was holding her, but strong arms were wrapped underneath her own, another firm grip held her legs together as she was hurried down the street. She grunted with the effort, her legs eventually falling free and hitting the pavement without warning. She hissed as her knee jarred with the unexpected contact, but she kicked and pulled at the hold under her arms anyway. 

_“Fuck off.”_ She screamed, panic finally rising to the surface. “Get the **fuck** off me.”

“Pick her up, for fucks sake.” The man holding her arms demanded, his voice cool and cutting. In an instant, four more arms grappled at her waist and legs and picked her up. Juliana could smell the faint lingering of body odour and cigarettes. She wanted to be sick. 

“Valentina?” Juliana called out. 

“Juls?”

“Let us go. What are you doing?” Juliana cried in frustration, her voice hoarse as she continued to focus her rush of adrenaline on lashing out against her captors. Her brain raced with scenarios taught in her self-defense classes, but nothing was making sense. Everything was happening so quickly.

Suddenly, a loud thump sounded along with a soft whimper. That small noise of pain Valentina released made Juliana’s stomach churn. She clenched her teeth and her hands formed into fists, but before she could retaliate, her own body flew through the air and landed heavily on cool steel.

A loud slamming of doors was all she heard before Juliana was plunged into a weird cocoon of silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me so long to get out. It's such a simple chapter but I really struggled with it.  
> Anyway, a huge thank you to all those who have left comments and are still reading - I appreciate it!


	17. Drip

Juliana sucked in short, ragged breaths. Her mind raced as the metal beneath her shook and rumbled to life. Her knee was throbbing and she’d landed harshly on her shoulder as she was thrown into what she assumed was the back of a vehicle. Prickly fabric rubbed against her face as she sat up with a groan. Her fingers fumbled with the string around her neck, a mixture of haste to remove the unpleasant item and the adrenaline pumping through her system making her hands shake. She swore in frustration as she struggled with the string. When she finally managed to release the knot, she ripped the dark material off her head and threw it aside with disgust, as if it touched her skin any longer, it would brand her. 

She blinked rapidly as she looked around the space. It seemed her assumption was correct. It was dark, but Juliana quickly identified the wheel well and blacked out windows of the back of a dated van. Her eyes widened, however, when she spotted Valentina beside her. The girls long arms were wrapped around her legs, holding herself close together. She was yet to make a sound.

“Val?” Juliana squeaked as she moved into a kneeling position, her hands immediately reaching for the same knot tied around Valentina’s neck. 

“Val, baby, are you okay?” 

Juliana could hear the panic in her own voice as she hurried with the black bag around Valentina’s head. She swore at herself as her fingers slipped around the small knot, her shaking fingers hampering her efforts. Finally, the string fell away and Juliana quickly pulled the material over Valentina’s head, discarding it without care. 

Valentina’s eyes were frantic, her hair mussed as she flinched away. Her mascara had streaked and her brows were drawn together in fright.

“Hey, hey. It’s just me.” Juliana released on a breath, her hands coming to rest on the sides of Valentina’s neck. The girl was clearly agitated and scared, a feeling Juliana could certainly relate to in this moment. But Juliana did her best to tuck her own mounting worry aside and calm her voice in an attempt to bring Valentina around. 

“Look at me, Val. It’s just me.” 

Valentina’s restless eyes finally landed on Juliana’s, and she could feel the tension slowly ease from Valentina’s taut muscles. 

“You’re okay, babe. It’s just us.” Juliana spoke lowly, keeping her face close to Valentina. 

Juliana's thumbs rubbed slow circles against Valentina's skin. It was done in an effort to soothe the other woman, but the light touch had an immediate effect on Juliana as well. 

“Juls?” Valentina’s voice quivered as her name spilled from trembling lips.

“Yeah, Val. It’s me. You’re okay. We’re okay.” 

Eventually, Valentina’s face morphed from utter terror to complete despair. Her face crumpled, lower lip quivering and brows puckering as she sucked in a shaky breath. It was obvious Valentina was trying to hold herself back from crying. 

“What’s happening, Juls?” 

The low rumble from the road beneath them continued to sound as the two women sat close together. Juliana braced one hand up against the van wall behind Valentina to keep them steady as the driver took a sharp corner too fast. Their bodies slid slightly against the cool metal, the rivets in the floor helping to keep them from moving around too much.

“I’m so sorry, Val. I didn’t see them coming. I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I’m so sorry.” 

Juliana shook her head as she spoke, disappointed at herself for not being careful enough. Her lapse in alertness had landed them in this mess very quickly. 

“Don’t. It’s okay. I didn’t see them coming either." Valentina wiped at her running nose as she spoke quietly, an intensity simmering behind her eyes. "It’s not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself.” 

Juliana's lips shifted into a pout, unable to formulate a response. She knew Valentina wouldn't listen to any more apologies, but she couldn't help but feel responsible for not protecting the other women. This was exactly the kind of situation Juliana was employed to avoid. But here they were, huddled and scared in the back of a strange van, kidnapped by unknown captors - although Juliana had a strong suspicion she knew who was behind it all. The girls continued to sit in strained silence, keeping one another close. 

“Where are we?” Valentina’s voice was small as her eyes did a quick sweep of the space. 

“I think we’re in the back of a van.”

“Where do you think they’re taking us?”

“I don’t know Val.” Juliana replied with a small shrug of her shoulders, her head dropping in defeat. 

To Juliana’s surprise, Valentina relaxed slightly. Her arms released the tight hold around her legs as she guided Juliana to sit beside her. Juliana took the careful hint, wrapping her arms around Valentina and pulling her into her chest as she sat beside the other woman. Valentina was taller than Juliana, although only slightly, but Valentina’s body somehow scooped into a ball, falling easily into Juliana’s hold. Valentina’s head rested comfortably against her neck as Juliana’s strong arms wrapped around the blue-eyed beauty. They took a few deep breaths together as they settled into their new embrace, both girls focusing on the swaying of the moving vehicle. 

“We’ll be okay. We’re together, so we’ll be okay. Right?” Valentina’s voice shook as she spoke against Juliana’s skin.

Juliana pressed her lips against Valentina’s hairline and closed her eyes. She swallowed at the anger and frustration and fear that were blazing like wildfire through her nervous system. She tightened her jaw at the attempt of hope laced in Valentina’s tone. She tightened her hold around Valentina, her heart racing as her exhausted brain raced to figure out what to do. Valentina needed her, and Juliana would do absolutely anything to keep her safe. She pressed a soft kiss on Valentina’s forehead and agreed. 

“We’ll get through anything, as long as we’re together. I won’t let anything happen to you, Val. I promise.”

Valentina lifted her head immediately, her head shaking, eyes darting across Juliana’s face. 

“No, Juls. Nothing will happen to either of us.” Valentina said slowly, resolutely.

“Right.” 

Juliana failed to say it with enough conviction, and Valentina’s face fell.

“No, no, no. I’ve seen that look before. You have to promise me you won’t do anything stupid here, Juls.”

Just as Valentina finished speaking, the van spun around another corner before hitting a bump and coming to an abrupt halt. 

Valentina grasped Juliana by the shoulders and held her close, her expression fraught and wild. 

“Oh, God. No, no, no. Juls, you have to promise me. I can’t have you go in there and martyr yourself for me. I won’t do it, Juls. Promise me you won’t do it.” 

Valentina was pleading with her as gruff voices and the slamming of car doors were heard outside of the vehicle. 

Juliana knew time was running out and she didn’t know what was coming for them outside the back of the van. She reacted the only way she knew how in that moment. She pulled Valentina to her roughly, smashing their lips together. She could feel Valentina initially try to resist the embrace, but quickly returned the kiss with the same urgency. Valentina’s hands grappled at the collar of her jacket as their lips melted desperately against one another. 

The latch of the back of the van clicked as Juliana pulled away. Her eyes were glued to Valentina’s as dim light flooded the dark van. The girls face was paler than usual, a sheen of tears reflecting off her wet cheeks. 

“I’ll get you out of here, Val.” 

Juliana meant it with her whole being.

Suddenly, Valentina was ripped away from Juliana’s grasp. 

“No.” Valentina whimpered as she was pushed against the opposite side of the van by an unknown figure. “You’ll get us both out of here, Juls. _Both of us._ ” 

Juliana was unable to respond. She was dragged to a standing position and plunged into darkness for a second time that night. 

_“JULS.”_ Valentina screamed and Juliana felt her heart splinter at the panic and sheer despair in her voice.

“It’s okay, Val. I’m right here.”

Her own voice sounded pathetic in her ears. Juliana was doing her best to keep herself level-headed, but she wasn’t sure she was selling it. Internally, she was a mess.

“Shut up, the both of you.” 

The voice was foreign and gravelly, and both women stopped speaking at the severity of the request. 

“Move.”

The demand came with a swift push to the back, and Juliana stumbled forwards. 

The black fabric covering her face and blocking her vision was disarming as she struggled to find her balance, fully aware she would have a step down from the edge of the van to the ground. Her knee throbbed as she placed weight on it, and she limped to ease the pressure. She felt her nerves rise and breathing increase as she stepped forwards.

Two large hands grasped her hips out of nowhere. She hoped no-one else heard the surprised sharp intake of breath as she was placed roughly on the ground. As soon as her feet landed with a thud, a large hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pushed her forwards. She gulped down the whimper from the movement, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to quell her outward display of discomfort.

Juliana followed the rough guidance, doing her best to walk normally through the shooting pain up her leg. She could hear Valentina choking through her fear just behind her, sniffling and whimpering as she was shuffled along behind her. Those scared sobs only steeled Juliana’s resolve to do her best to get Valentina out of this ordeal unharmed. 

What sounded like a roller door was lifted, the chains rattling as Juliana felt cool air wrap around her. She was pushed forwards, the strong hand still rigid on the back of her neck. She opened her eyes, but couldn’t tell if the light had changed in the new room they had just entered. The same rattle of chains clinked behind her as the door was lowered, the feeling of dampness sinking into her skin. 

Juliana felt the goose bumps ripple across her body as the movement of people continued around her. The sweat that had developed on her skin cooled dramatically, perhaps due to the change in atmosphere or the rising panic of what was going to happen in this room. There was a scraping of a chair and the distinct sound of a match striking to life. The smell of cigarette smoke permeated Juliana’s sense of smell and she made the effort not to gag. The loud slamming of a door in the distance made Juliana jump slightly.

Two voices gradually grew louder as they laughed and talked, their deep voices echoing off the walls. Juliana surmised they were in a concrete building due to the way the sound carried and the change in temperature. 

“What have you got for me here, boys?” A jovial voice asked.

“We brought what you asked, boss.” The man holding Juliana’s neck responded, his grip tightening slightly as he spoke.

A menacing chuckle reverberated around the room.

“I wanted one Carvajal. Have you brought me two?” 

There was something about the way the man spoke that sent shivers down Juliana’s spine. 

“Well, no, but –“

“Then why are there two people standing in front of me, Diego?” The mans voice was cutting.

Juliana was trying to get a grasp on how many people were surrounding them when a nervous clearing of a throat got her attention.

“They are never on their own. We took the risk and targeted the two girls. You can get rid of the one you don’t need.” Another voice replied to Juliana’s left, somewhat nervously.

Juliana felt a warm breath pass over the fabric on her face. She did her best to stay still, working against her instincts to move away. The air shifted around her as the figure in front stepped away.

“Which Carvajal have you brought me?”

“The one I thought you might like best. The youngest one, boss.”

Juliana’s hands clenched into fists at the small laugh released from one of the men. The somewhat sinister sound made her skin crawl. Juliana couldn’t let her mind wander into what these men might do to them, to Valentina. 

“Show me.”

The hand on Juliana’s neck released its hold, the material surrounding her face suddenly removed. She squinted and blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the change in light. 

She immediately turned her neck to find Valentina. Juliana’s heart constricted as her eyes landed on her. Valentina was standing a couple feet to her left, arms pulled behind her back as a tall man held onto her joint hands. Her hair was tangled and messy as it fell around her face, her expression twisted into one of confusion and fright. Her shoulders were slumped forwards, the exhaustion of the previous week and the gradual removal of adrenaline from her body obvious in the way she struggled to hold herself up. 

“Val.” 

The name slipped from Juliana’s lips without permission, small and weak. 

Valentina’s eyes lifted to lock onto Juliana’s. She tried to smile, to show Valentina in some way that everything was going to be alright, but the blue-eyed girl continued to look at her with despondency. There was no fire behind her eyes. Juliana was reminded of the sad girl in the back of the SUV, with horrible friends, a disgusting boyfriend, and a blackmail scheme looming over her. Valentina had come so far since those days, but Juliana was shaken to see the same dejected energy radiating from Valentina now.

“Ah, I see. Valentina.” 

The leering tone and the way he drawled out her name snapped Juliana’s attention away from the other woman and back to the man who was currently domineering the room. She watched on through narrowed eyes as a tall man with dark hair, scattered facial hair and a single diamond earring stepped in front of Valentina. There was something about him that looked familiar, but Juliana’s brain was too over-stimulated to place it. A smirk was evident on his lips as his eyes raked across Valentina’s slim frame, his tongue wetting his lips in anticipation. 

“Hey, now.” The man said as his index finger and thumb reached up to grip Valentina’s chin. He tugged at her face so she would look at him. “You are even more fucking delicious in real life. Those photos don’t do you justice.”

Juliana swallowed the rising bile as she watched on. 

The man leaned in, his lips almost touching Valentina’s. Through his smile, he whispered, “the things I’ll do to you, princess.” 

Juliana couldn’t stand by quietly any longer. She shifted her shoulders and stepped towards the man. 

_“Don’t_ fucking touch her.” 

As Juliana growled at the man, a large hand roughly squeezed her forearm and twisted into an excruciating hold. Juliana cried out and fell forward, her free arm breaking her fall as she hit the cold concrete floor. 

“Get the _fuck_ off me.” Juliana snarled through barred teeth, her neck strained as her arm felt like it was tearing from the socket. She could hear Valentina say her name in the commotion, but she was too focused on the pain to respond. 

“Get her up and tie her hands.” 

“Yes, boss.” 

The man Juliana assumed was Diego replied, and she was immediately picked up and forced to stand once more. She wobbled slightly on her feet as her arms were pulled tight behind her back. Juliana hissed as a zipping sound was heard and sharp plastic was tightened around her wrists, biting into the flesh. The same large hand was then placed firmly on her shoulder, holding her in place. 

She lifted her head and took in gulping breaths, her body screaming at her to stop. She tried to control the grunts of pain she wanted desperately to release, and attempted to smooth her expression as she watched the boss approach her with a surprised look on his face. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here fellas?”

The question was clearly rhetorical as the men in the room chuckled in amusement at their boss, their smiles wide and eyes leering.

Juliana stood straighter as the man circled her slowly. She could feel his perverted gaze taking its time, sizing her up. She took the moment to take in more of her surroundings. 

The room was no bigger than a regular sized garage, with a long, dimly lit corridor stretching out to Juliana’s right. The dull red paint on the walls was flaking terribly, the concrete floors stained with colors Juliana didn’t want to think about. The faint dripping noise was the cause of a leaking pipe in the far corner. Valentina stood with her back to the large roller door, a tall man with a bad haircut and a menacing glint in his eye holding her wrists firmly behind her. The man also looked vaguely familiar, and it made Juliana sick to think she could have seen him before. Another man, slightly more round but with the same sinister look stood a few feet beside him, his beady eyes staring at her. 

She looked to Valentina. The older woman was trembling, her chin wobbling as silent tears fell from her eyes. She shook her head at Juliana, her expression begging for her to stop. 

“Who is this?” 

“One of the drivers.”

The man in charge finally made his way back in front of Juliana. His left arm was crossed over his body, his right elbow bent as his index finger drummed along his chin. Juliana felt like she was on a stage being critiqued for her performance as four sets of eyes watched her. After another quick sweep of his eyes, he sighed. 

“It’s a pity, really. She’s also quite beautiful.” 

The mans hands fell as he waved her away, glancing at the man behind Juliana. 

“Get rid of her.”

Juliana’s eyes widened as she processed the implication of his words. 

“Yes, boss.” 

The grip on her shoulder tightened as she was tugged sideways and pushed towards the way they had come in. 

_“NO.”_ Valentina’s scream was piercing as it rang out through the space. 

“Wait.” Juliana called out, her feet tripping over herself. 

“Juliana, no.” Valentina sobbed deep, gut-wrenching sobs as she struggled to breath. 

And it broke Juliana. 

She had thought about death before. You couldn’t grow up in the slums of Texas with a dangerous hit-man father and not think about death. But she had never been scared of it, content in the understanding that it was inevitable for everyone. In that moment, as Valentina’s palpable fear sank through Juliana’s skin and pierced her very soul, she was absolutely petrified of it. But not for the reasons she was expecting. She wasn’t fearful of dying herself, although Juliana briefly thought that this was the first time in her life where her death may impact someone other than her mother. What bothered her the most was what would happen after she was taken outside of this building and disposed of. The idea of Valentina being left alone in this cold, dank building with these disgusting, strange men, was what frightened Juliana the most. 

“No, WAIT.” Juliana screamed as she twisted in the tight grip she found herself in. “Listen to me. I can give you something better than a Carvajal.”

“Shut up.” Diego, the man holding onto her, said forcefully as he continued to push her towards the exit.

“I can get you Chino.” 

Juliana gasped in desperation just as her foot caught the edge of a dislodged piece of concrete. She tripped, the man holding her failing to keep her upright as her body tumbled forward. 

She closed her eyes as her right shoulder took the brunt of the fall, the side of her face sliding against the rough concrete floor. The stinging was evident immediately and she sucked in a shaky breath to stop the cry of pain. 

Juliana rolled onto her side and looked up to Diego. The man was standing over her with his eyebrows raised, his mouth slightly agape. 

“What did you just say?”

Juliana craned her neck to see the man in charge walking towards her, the clip of his boots echoing around the room. He crouched beside her, his hands curling around the lapel of her jacket to pull her closer to him. His face was inches from hers, his eyes dark and menacing. 

“I said, I can get you Chino.” 

Juliana heard her voice and was surprised at the strength of the statement. 

She was playing a very dangerous game, and she knew it. It was immediately obvious the name hit a nerve with the men surrounding her. There was no way she could deliver on this promise, but she had to do what she could to get Valentina out of here. She clenched her teeth as she committed to the offer, fully aware of the consequences. 

“How do you know Chino?” 

The man was still gripping onto Juliana firmly, her neck straining to keep itself upright. She could feel liquid slowly oozing down her face and dripping off her chin. She wasn’t sure if it was sweat, water or blood. She shook her head slightly and swallowed, nervous about her next move. 

“He’s my father.”

The oxygen from the room seemed to evaporate as Juliana spoke. For a moment, the only sound was the constant dripping of water from the broken pipe and the small whimpers from Valentina. The man looking down at her opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Juliana refused to break eye contact, her eyes narrowing as she bore into him, absolute hatred for the situation she found herself in and the men who put her here strengthening her resolve. She was determined to see this through, or she’d die trying.

“Oh shit. I thought she looked familiar.” 

The man holding her snapped his neck around, his eyes landing on the man holding Valentina. 

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Mat?” He growled.

Mat gulped nervously and shifted on his feet. 

“I mentioned to Diego on our way here that she looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where I’d seen her before.” His eyes glanced around at the other men in the room, his eyebrows drawn together. 

“Go on.”

“Right. Sorry. Do you remember a few years back you sent us to remind Chino at his trailer about that package he had to deliver to you?”

“Yes.” The man was beginning to get worked up, impatience seeping into his tone. 

“Well, we were interrupted but his daughter. He’d kept that a secret, I guess so we didn’t have that knowledge to use against him. We warned Chino that if that package wasn’t delivered, we’d be back to get her.”

Mat’s eyes landed back on Juliana, disbelief crossing his features as he confirmed Juliana’s confession. 

“That’s her.”

Juliana looked back to the man holding onto her. The muscles in his neck strained as he continued to stare at Mat. And it finally dawned on her who this man was. The scrappy facial hair had confused her as the man in the pictures had been clean shaven, but this was Alacran, the leader of the most dangerous cartel in all of Mexico. Her stomach dropped as his head whipped back around and glared down at her. 

“Fuck.” He spat furiously. 

The stench of cigarettes and alcohol on his breath made Juliana wince. 

“Chair.” 

Alacran called as his grip on her jacket yanked at Juliana, pulling her up. Her feet slipped on the concrete floor as she attempted to find traction. Her knee continued to throb as she finally found her feet, forcing the bulk of her weight onto her good leg. 

Before she knew it, she was pushed backwards. Her knees hit something solid, her legs bending as she landed heavily on a steel chair. She rocked backwards slightly with the momentum, and for a moment she thought she might tumble off the chair. Unable to use her hands that were bound behind her, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the fall, but it never came. Juliana opened her eyes to find Diego grasping the back of the chair and steadying it as all four legs hit the floor with a thump. 

Cool fingers gripped Juliana’s chin and pulled her head forwards, tilting her chin upwards. Her cheeks smashed together as Alacrans fingers dug into her skin, forcing her to look up at him as he stood before her. 

“Tell me more.” He demanded.

“What do you want to know?” Juliana forced out, unable to move her chin.

This was only ever going to work if the men didn’t know of Chino’s whereabouts over the past two years. It was a huge gamble, but she was banking on the idea that if they hadn’t seen or heard from Chino during this time, they also wouldn’t know that Juliana was also just as ignorant to this fact. It was clear they hadn’t heard from their accomplice in some time. Juliana felt a small surge of hope that she might actually be able to pull this off. 

“Where is Chino?”

Juliana cleared her throat and focused on shooting Alacran the most menacing glare she could muster. 

“I’m not telling you anything until you can guarantee her safety.” Juliana replied with a slight tilt of her head. 

Alacran’s right eye twitched in confusion. He frowned and glanced over his shoulder towards Valentina. 

“You want to guarantee her safety?” He questioned, somewhat dumbly.

“Yes.”

A lopsided smirk formed on Alacrans face. Juliana shifted uncomfortably in her chair, the zip ties beginning to cut off circulation in her hands. She tried to wiggle her fingers to alleviate the tingling to no avail.

“Why her? Why not save yourself?”

“It doesn’t matter. You can do whatever you want with me. But if you want Chino, you let her go.”

Valentina’s whimpers became louder as she struggled to suck in enough air. Up to this point, Juliana tried to block Valentina out of her negotiations with Alacran. She wasn’t sure how Valentina might take the news of her connection with Chino, and she knew that looking at the woman, slumped over and helpless, might just send Juliana over the edge. But as Valentina croaked out Juliana’s name, she couldn’t help looking over Alacrans shoulders towards her. 

“Juls, no. I won’t leave you here.” Valentina stuttered through the hiccups wracking her body. 

Juliana felt her expression soften as she gazed at Valentina. She wished she could stand up and envelope her in a crushing hug, to whisper that everything was going to be okay, to take away all the hurt and pain she had ever experienced and soothe away her worries. Valentina was the light, she was everything that was good in this world. She didn’t deserve to experience any of this. 

A disbelieving laugh sounded around the room. Juliana looked up to Alacran, who was twisting his head from Valentina to Juliana as if watching a tennis match. His grip was released from Juliana’s face as he took a step back, his hand reaching for his own face as his fingers raked through his short beard. 

Juliana swallowed thickly as the rest of the men joined in on the light laughter, as Alacran continued to look at both women knowingly. 

“I see what’s going on here.” He said as his index finger began pointing to Valentina, Juliana and back again. “I see.” 

His finger remained pointed in Juliana’s direction as he spoke to her. 

“You’re fucking her, aren’t you?”

“Oh, shit.” The plump man exclaimed excitedly. 

Juliana looked around the room, large smiles and widened eyes gazed at both of them. 

Alacran stepped forwards, the same menacing smirk lingering on his lips. 

“Aren’t you?” He encouraged.

Juliana grimaced as she considered how to respond. 

She wasn’t sure what the ramifications could be if she told him the truth, whether her chances of getting Valentina out of here unharmed may be reduced. But Alacran was clearly perceptive enough to figure this much out so far, so perhaps lying wasn’t the best option. She didn’t necessarily want to find out what Alacran might do if he thought she was being dishonest. 

Juliana looked to Valentina, her heart sinking with the desperate look in Valentina’s eyes. She hadn’t said much since arriving here. Juliana had made her a promise, and she intended on keeping it. She considered that, if this all worked out, this might be the last time Juliana ever saw Valentina. Juliana wasn’t naïve enough think she could get out of this lie alive. So she took a deep breath and pushed aside any thoughts of Alacran or any of the other men in the room. She gazed intensely at Valentina as she replied. 

“I’m not just fucking her. I love her.”

Valentina face fell into an instant pout, her eyes closing tightly as fresh tears ran down her already wet cheeks. This time, Valentina cried quietly. Her shoulders shook, but she made no sound. 

“Well this just made things a little more interesting.” 

Juliana’s attention shifted back to Alacran, whose index finger was still tapping against his chin. 

“If you drop her to safety, I will take you to Chino.” Juliana interrupted his thoughts. 

“Who says I’d prefer Chino over playing with the Mexican princess?” 

Alacran's lips twitched as he asked the question. He was testing her. 

Juliana swallowed thickly before she spoke her next words. 

“This might be your only opportunity to get Chino after what he did to you. The Carvajals won’t go away, but Chino can always go back into hiding. He’s evaded you for years now. What better opportunity to get redemption than now?”

Juliana hoped her loose implication that they could still seek revenge on the Carvajals at another time wouldn’t actually come true, but she had to hedge her bets. Right at this moment, her main objective was to get Valentina to safety. 

Alacran looked over to the plump man standing on his own near the entryway to the corridor. 

“What do you think?”

Juliana was surprised to hear Alacran asking for another persons opinion. She didn’t know who the other man was, but Alacran had seemed so sure of himself up until this point. 

“She does have a point. We might not get another chance to get to Chino like we do now.”

Alacran clicked his teeth together as he weighed up his options. The room was quiet again as Alacran seemed to mull over his options. The wait was torture. 

Finally, he turned back to face Juliana. 

“We will leave her outside, and you’ll take us to him.” 

With the slight tilt of his head, Diego and Mat both moved as if on cue. Mat pushed Valentina towards the large roller door, while Diego’s hand once again found the back of Juliana’s neck.

“No.” Juliana said with a resolute shake of her head. She was determined to do this properly, on her own terms. “You will drop her outside of a police station, take a video of her walking inside, and when I see the evidence that she is safe, I will take you to Chino.”

Alacran stooped low, his face inches away from Juliana. His teeth were clenched shut as he spoke.

“You don’t call the shots here.” He snarled.

“Actually, I do. I’m not taking you to Chino until I know she’s safe. If you can’t do that, the deal’s off.”

Juliana felt her heart in her throat as she stood firmly on her words, moving her face closer to Alacran in a show of conviction, to prove that she wasn’t backing down. 

Hot breath was exhaled across her face, but she refused to shrink away. Her jaw was clenched as she continued to stare at Alacran. All attention in the room was directed at the pair, both with a steely determination in their expressions. 

After what felt like an eternity, Alacran moved away, his eyes never wavering from Juliana. 

“Take her to the nearest police station and record her walking inside, then come straight back. We have a meeting with Chino tonight.” 

“Boss.” 

Mat nodded his head and pushed at Valentina again, a huff of air escaping her lungs after a forceful push in the back. 

_“No.”_ Valentina cried as she stumbled forwards. “I won’t leave you here, Juls. Please don’t make me.” 

“I’ll see you soon, Val. Go now.” Juliana spoke gently, willing the tears in her eyes to wait until the blue-eyed girl was gone before they spilled over. 

The clinking of the roller door sounded as the plump man pulled at the chains. The loud noise reverberated around the space, drowning out any other noise. Juliana’s heart thumped in her chest at the realization that this might be the last time she lays eyes on Valentina. She bit her lip to control the impending meltdown once Valentina was out of her sight.

In amongst the commotion, Valentina somehow managed to wiggle out of Mat’s loose grip on her wrists. She ran to Juliana, throwing her arms around her.

Juliana breathed her in, unable to return the tight embrace. 

“Val.” She breathed.

“I love you, too. So much.” Valentina choked out before pulling back, her blue eyes ablaze. 

Before Juliana could respond, Valentina’s head whipped back as Mat found a firm grasp on her hair. 

“Juls, please don’t – “

In another swift move, Mat had Valentina’s hands pulled tight behind her back and shoved the black bag over her head before marching her out of the room. 

“Valentina.” Juliana cried, her voice finally cracking. 

“Juls, come back.”

Valentina’s final frantic words were lost into the darkness of night as she disappeared out of the room.

“Don’t hurt her.” Juliana pleaded desperately, her last attempt at keeping Valentina safe.

The screeching of metal as the roller door was lowered once more filled the room, plunging the space back into dingy semi-darkness. 

Juliana closed her eyes and dropped her head as she sucked in deep breaths. Her chest heaved, sorrow filling a space in her chest as the distant sound of an engine turning over and driving off could be heard. She let a few stray tears fall down her cheeks, quietly mourning the idea that she would most likely never see Valentina, the woman she loved, ever again. 

The flicker of a lighter and consequent stench of tobacco eventually pulled Juliana out of her own head. Slowly, it dawned on her that she was now alone in a room with the most dangerous man in Mexico. 

She slowly lifted her gaze to lock eyes with Alacran’s. The smirk on his face broadened as he took a deep drag from his rolled cigarette. As he exhaled the smoke, he took a slow step towards her, crouching down as his hand rested on her knee. Juliana’s eyes widened as she automatically flinched away from the touch.

“Seeing as you’re calling the shots, what do you suggest we do while we wait?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very late update - there's been a lot going on!  
> Hopefully i'm not being too predictable and keeping you interested in the story. Let me know what you think!  
> I can see the ending looming in the distance...


	18. Blackness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> This chapter does deal with violence. I've tried to keep it light considering the circumstances, but please proceed with caution.

“I don’t know what you’re planning on doing, but I’m going to sit here quietly and wait until I get confirmation Valentina is safe.” Juliana spoke slowly, her expression hard as she willed herself to keep up the tough exterior. 

Alacran let out a breathy laugh, cigarette smoke washing over Juliana’s face as he did so. 

“Is that right?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head. 

Juliana gave one resolute nod, her eyebrows almost aching from their strained knotted position. A dull ache was forming behind her eyes, most likely due to a combination of exhaustion and stress from the events of the past hour. In fact, Juliana had lost all concept of time. It could have been an hour, or it could have been three since this all started. She had no way of telling. The dim, cool room didn’t help her bearings at all. 

Alacran sucked in another long drag of his cigarette, his lips pursing as he pulled the tobacco into his lungs. The cigarette lit up as it burned down the length, the chemicals released as he inhaled. His hand slid down to her mid thigh as he removed the cigarette, the glint in his eye reminiscent of pure evil. Juliana tried her best to keep her stony faced expression and swallow the bile creeping up her throat at the action. 

“We might as well have some fun while we’re waiting. Don’t you think?” 

Small puffs of white smoke spilled out of his mouth as he spoke, his cigarette resting lazily between his index and middle finger on the hand that wasn’t currently caressing Juliana’s leg.

“You won’t touch me.” 

One singular amused chuckle escaped Alacran, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. 

“Oh, and why is that?” He asked with a smirk. 

“You’d have to kill me before I let you do that. And if I’m dead, you don’t get Chino.” 

Juliana internally applauded herself for her quick response. She was doing her utmost to maintain eye contact with Alacran, even though all she wanted to do was break down, curl up into a ball and cry until this was all over. But keeping up the façade was difficult. 

She was trying to compartmentalize everything going on. Now that Valentina was gone, it was beginning to be too much. She was alone and scared, and feeling totally overwhelmed. She had to focus on too many things at once and it was causing chaos in her already cluttered mind. She tried to push thoughts of Valentina’s welfare to the back of her mind, struggled to come up with convincing arguments for Alacran to keep his hands off, strained to think of a plan of what to do next, battled to dismiss thoughts about her ultimate fate, and fought hard to not let her body succumb to the complete exhaustion that shook her to the bone.

She took a trembling breath as a wave of combined amusement and annoyance swept over Alacrans features. He sucked at his teeth and stood up, dropping his cigarette and stepping on it with the toe of his scuffed boot. 

The man rotated his head in a lazy circle as if he was stretching his neck, before looking down at Juliana. He reached towards her, his thumb brushing over her lips. At the touch, Juliana jerked away by instinct. Alacran roughly grasped her chin and pulled her head back to face him. 

She narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him. Her fists were clenched, the thin black plastic almost cutting off her circulation as she pushed against the resistance. She felt her stomach drop as she saw his bottom lip sucked between his teeth, his gaze lingering on her mouth. 

“You have beautiful lips.” 

Juliana could do nothing but tighten her jaw even further, her nerves rising at the unwanted compliment. Her heart beat fast in her chest, and her breathing increased as she tried not to think about what might happen next. 

He released his hold on her chin, his hands finding their way to his belt. He unclasped the brown leather and undid his top button. 

Juliana wanted to gag at the implication, her stomach churning in disgust as his gaze continued to linger on her mouth. She would do whatever was required to avoid whatever was about to happen. She had to stay firm, so she said the only thing that came to mind. 

“If you put that anywhere near me, I will bite it off.” Juliana spat with complete certainty that she would follow through with the threat. 

Alacran’s gaze finally lifted and met hers. His right eye twitched slightly as he glared at her. She glared right back at him, eyes wide and unblinking.

Juliana wasn’t sure if she’d said the right thing. She was walking a fine line and she was fully aware of the fact. She didn’t want to aggravate him to the point where he might hurt her, but she couldn’t just sit here and let him do what he wanted with her. 

She watched as his mouth shifted into an evil grimace before he lifted his head and twitched it to the right. 

To Juliana’s surprise, the plump man from earlier walked into view from behind her. She thought he had left with the rest of the men when they had taken Valentina, but he must have been standing there quietly the whole time. 

“Go and get the boxing pads.” Alacran demanded from the man. “This one isn’t worth it and I need to let out some frustrations.” He finished as he re-buttoned his jeans and looped the belt back through the buckle. 

Juliana tried to hide the whimper of relief as the other man quickly shuffled down the long corridor and disappeared. Alacran turned and walked to the opposite corner of the room, shrugging off his plaid shirt, revealing a plain black shirt underneath. He was facing away from her as he rolled his shoulders and neck slowly. Now that she was alone with him again, Juliana refused to let her eyes wander. She kept them trained on the man as he stretched. 

The constant drip of the broken pipe, deep breaths and the occasional shuffle from their shoes on the rough concrete were the only sounds in the room. 

Juliana’s eyes snapped back to the long corridor as the sound of a door slammed shut. The plump man reappeared, this time carrying some random items in his hands. He walked straight to Alacran and held out his arms. Alacran picked up the gloves and slid them onto his hands, velcro tearing as he tightened them around his wrists. The other man adjusted two pads on his own hands. 

“We’ll start with jab, jab, hook.” 

The other man nodded and shuffled his feet shoulder width apart, one in front of the other, and held the pads up in front of him. 

Juliana watched on as Alacran lunged forward, his arms whipping out against his partner. The harsh thudding of glove against focus mitt dominated the room as the men shuffled around in a seemingly synchronized fashion. Their feet shifted in coordination as Alacran continued to call out combinations, changing the tempo and direction of his fists. Soon enough, the huff of exertion became noticeable as Alacran continued thumping his fists against the other man. 

Once Juliana was finally convinced that Alacran was sufficiently distracted, she let out a slow, deep breath and slumped in her chair. She had been so on edge she hadn’t realized the tension she had kept pent up in her posture. Her shoulders dropped, her head drooped, chin on chest, and her hands released their tight hold. She closed her eyes and unclenched her jaw. For a moment, Juliana thought it would be so easy to just drift away to sleep, right here in the chair. Her eyelids felt heavy and her limbs were spent. 

The slapping of covered fists against synthetic leather and foam, the scuffing of feet on wet concrete and the grunts of exertion from both men were almost enough to lull Juliana into unconsciousness. She tried to fight it, but she could feel the pulling, the tugging into darkness drawing her in. She exhaled deeply as the tendrils of sleep wrapped around her like a blanket. Her mind wandered to piercing blue and gentle caresses.

Before she was pulled completely under, Juliana was jolted awake by the screeching of the metal roller door behind her. 

She blinked her eyes rapidly as she was shaken back to the present. 

“All done, boss.”

Alacran used his teeth to rip the Velcro from around his wrists, carelessly throwing the gloves behind him.

Juliana watched Diego walk into her line of sight and towards Alacran. He had a phone clasped tightly in his hand, it’s screen alight as his arms swung. 

Diego stopped just short of his boss and waited for further instruction. 

Alacran held out a hand, his eyes stuck on Diego. 

“Show me.” Alacran huffed. 

Diego lifted his phone, his finger pressing against the screen. 

The plump man had finally rid himself of the focus mitts he had been using and handed Alacran his plaid button up shirt he’d discarded earlier. Alacran brought it to his face in a bunch and used it to wipe his perspiring brow. Once he was done wiping his sweat, he pulled the shirt back onto his body just as Diego lifted the device to his face. 

“Here you go.” 

Heavy breathing and the slamming of a door sounded from the phone. 

Juliana could feel her heart in her throat as she strained to listen to the video playing mere meters away from here. 

“Come here.” A gruff voice could be heard.

A whimper and sob echoed out. It was distinctly Valentina. 

Juliana felt her muscles tremble under the tension resonating through her body as she heard those sounds. 

A scuffle, another whimper and the slamming of another door came in quick succession. 

“Go on, then. Piss off.” The same stern voice sounded.

“But what about-“

“Don’t push it, princess. Get going.”

There was another scuffle that faded into the distance. Juliana hoped was it was Valentina retreating. Louder footsteps and another slamming of a door were heard before a few more seconds of video played and then cut off. 

Alacran’s eyes lifted from the device and straight to Juliana. 

“Right. It’s done. Now it’s time for you to pay your end of the bargain.”

“I need to see that video first.” Juliana choked out. 

Alacran narrowed his eyes at her before taking out another cigarette, his hand curving around the end of it as a wind barrier as he lit it. He took in deep drag before he snatched the phone out of Diego’s grip. 

With the cigarette tipping precariously on the edge of his lip, he used his fingers to tap on the screen as he took the few steps to reach her. 

“Here.” 

Juliana’s eyes widened as she stared at the dark screen before his dirty finger tapped the large play button. 

The same sounds Juliana had already identified could be heard again, but was accompanied this time with the footage. 

The man had done what she requested. 

Valentina was thrown from the van and pushed towards a nearby police station. The video ended as her slender figure stumbled into the entrance of a pair of automatic sliding doors. 

A feeling of overwhelming relief flowed through her as she finally had the proof that Valentina was safe. She slumped once more in her chair, hot tears pricking at her eyes. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply as the heavy weight of fear lifted. 

Before she could really bask too much in the relief she was feeling, a firm hand gripped her jacket and pulled her to her feet. 

She groaned as she swayed, unsteady on her feet, as all eyes were glued to her. 

“We’re going now.” Alacran spoke firmly, his expression serious. “You’re going to take us to Chino right now.” 

With that, Alacran stepped aside and the hand on her shoulder, whom Juliana noticed with a quick glance was Diego, directed her quite forcefully under the roller door and outside. 

Since her arrival to the concrete garage, clouds had taken over the skies. The sticky heat had turned into a light drizzle that fell gently on Juliana’s skin. She looked up towards the dark sky and breathed in the fresh air. Unfortunately, only a few more steps and she was shoved into the back of a black sedan. 

She struggled to move across the bench seat due to her hands still tied tightly behind her back. Two bodies sandwiched her into the middle seat while two large hands adjusted her limbs so she was sitting in a more comfortable upright position. 

As she heard the ignition purr to life, she took in her surroundings. 

Diego and Mat sat on either side of her. Mat had a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth and Diego had an elbow up on the window ledge, his palm resting against his forehead with a bored expression on his face. Juliana almost giggled at how disinterested Diego found this whole situation. She knew she was delirious as she tried to cover her giggle with a cough. 

She mustn’t have been too convincing. Diego’s head turned to face her, a distinct scowl on his expression as he looked her up and down. He leaned in and opened his mouth to say something, but the quick acceleration of the vehicle and Alacran’s voice interrupted them. 

“Direct Leo on where to go.” 

“ _Fuck._ ” Juliana muttered under her breath as she realized Alacran was talking to her. 

She had almost forgotten the reason they were in the vehicle was because they were expecting Juliana to take them to Chino. 

Her mind jolted into action as she scrambled for an idea. 

Juliana could feel her mouth open and close like a fish but as she failed to speak up, annoyance from the men grew. 

“Hey, bitch. You need to tell Leo where he should be heading. Where are we going?” Diego growled in her ear.

Juliana sat a little more upright as the hairs on her neck stood up. She froze, her breath caught in her throat, as she raked her mind for something, anything to say. 

A tight hold formed against her skull as a bunch of her hair was pulled into a fist.

“Are you fucking with us, you little _bitch_?” Diego sneered, his breath hot on the side of her face. 

Juliana focused on her breathing as her neck strained from the pressure. Her body was aching in so many points now it was almost a relief for the acute sting of pain on her skull. The dull throbbing in her knee, the sharp tenderness of her shoulder and the relentless prickle of heat from the abrasion on her face were all sitting at the forefront of her mind, however hard she tried to dismiss the pain. 

“It’s in the south side of the city. Just head south.” Juliana cried hurriedly, her eyes clamped shut and lips quivering in pain. 

She let out a breath when Diego released his hold and slumped back into his seat. 

Finally, she had an idea. 

~

“Get out.” Alacran barked as they pulled up outside the address Juliana had given them. 

Without a word, all four men exited the vehicle. 

All doors slammed, except the one to Juliana’s right. She got the hint and shuffled along the back seat towards the open door. She swung her feet out and stepped onto the footpath, minding to not hit her head on the door jam as she stood. 

“Where now?” Alacran asked before Juliana could even take in her surroundings. 

She noted the large sheets of plastic and scaffolding still smacking against the windows of the large, abandoned building. It stood exactly as Juliana remembered it when Guille showed her only a few weeks ago. 

She caught Alacran’s eyes and jerked her head in the direction of the front entrance. 

“The front door is through there, although it will most likely be locked.”

“That’s not a problem.” Mat said mischievously as he pulled something from his pocket. 

Mat lead the way to the large front door, kneeling in front of the lock as the rest of the group hovered around him. 

Juliana looked around the sidewalk, hoping for any random person to walk by so she could alert someone to what was going on here. For a brief second, she berated herself for taking them to an area of the city that would not have regular foot traffic at this time of night. It was more business, and less residential in this area, so the chance of someone walking by were slim. 

The click of a lock sounded and Juliana glanced back to find Diego fist bumping Mat as he pushed the door open. 

A firm shove between the shoulder blades sent Juliana over the threshold and into the large, empty building. 

Her eyes whipped around the area for any sign of life. There was none. It was as empty and quiet as she expected any abandoned building to be. 

She could feel her blood begin to pump faster through her veins in anticipation of things going south very quickly. It wouldn’t be long until they realized this was all a rouse, and Chino was nowhere to be found. She just had to keep up the façade for as long as possible, and hope that by some miracle, someone would get her out of this mess. 

“This place is fucking empty.” Diego shouted as he shined his flashlight around the room. “It’s just electrical cables and random bits of dumped fucking building materials.”

Once again, Juliana squeaked as a firm hold gripped onto her neck. The cold fingers wrapped tightly around the base of her skull as she was forced to look at the person holding her. 

“Where is he?” Alacran asked through clenched teeth. 

Juliana could already tell he was on edge, and she didn’t want to push it any further. She was frightened enough about what was going to happen when she ran out of ideas, so she stalled even longer. 

“Fifth floor.” She retorted.

Alacran grunted as he released his hold and looked around the room. His eyes landed on the elevators and he walked swiftly towards them. His index finger jabbed at the buttons, but no sounds or lights came on. A loud ringing echoed around the space as Alacran punched the metal elevator doors.

“Stupid _fucking_ thing.” 

He turned and looked straight at Juliana once more, his teeth gritted together. 

“Stairs are over there.” Juliana indicated with another tilt of her head, trying to act calm and as if Alacrans burst of anger didn’t affect her. If she was honest, his increasingly agitated state was making her palms clammy and sweat break out across her brow.

Alacran sucked air through his teeth as his body twisted around. He walked purposefully towards the door as the rest of the group followed. 

As she was pushed in the same direction, Juliana noticed the way Alacran reached into the waistband of his jeans, his hand wrapping around something securely. 

She gulped as her mind processed what Alacran was most likely trying to conceal. Her feet staggered slightly as a profound feeling of dread coiled in the pit of her stomach. 

“Move.” Diego demanded as he palmed roughly at Juliana’s bad shoulder. 

She sucked in a shaky breath at the touch, but thought she covered well as she limped forwards, following Alacran and the other two men. 

The stairs were much harder to navigate than the first time she was here with Guille. This time, she was here with a leg that was not exactly willing to cooperate, and under extreme circumstances. Juliana found herself relying heavily on the cool metal handrail as she dragged herself up two flights of stairs. 

He breathing was heavy and her chest was heaving from the effort as she stopped on the landing of the second floor. She hung her head back and gulped in deep breaths of air. The sweat was already cooling on her forehead and her hands were shaking from exhaustion. She felt sick.

“Oh, for fucks sake.” Diego muttered behind her.

With her eyes still closed, Juliana squeaked in surprise as an arm scooped her up under her knees, with another supporting her back. Diego then clambered up the stairs with Juliana in his arms.

“You plan on marrying her, Diego?” Mat sniggered as he followed behind. 

“Piss off.” 

“Don’t you want to take her on a date first?” Leo interjected. 

“Don’t you start, fatty.” Diego hissed, his voice slightly breathless with exertion. 

“Shut up, all of you.” Alacran shouted aggressively. 

The men all shared a look, and not another sound was made except for heavy breathing and the slap of shoes on concrete. 

Juliana kept quiet for the entire trip up, even though her knee was screaming at her to stop the jolting. She wriggled slightly in Diego’s grip, but a firm squeeze of his hold told her to stop. So she gritted and bared the pain, unsure if she was relieved or wrecked when Diego dropped her back to the ground as they reached the fifth floor. 

The stood still, the light atmosphere dissipated as tension rippled over them. Alacran stood in front of the door and twisted his neck. The vertebrae cracked under the pressure as the leader shrugged his shoulders and placed his feet shoulder width apart. 

For a second, Juliana hoped Chino never recounted these men again in his life. It was blatantly obvious Alacran wanted to do some serious harm to him, for whatever it was he had done.

“You got this, boss.” Diego whispered to Alacran’s back.

One single nod and Alacran threw the door open and, holding the item in his pants, stepped over the threshold and into the dark room. 

The rest of the group followed suit, with Juliana being dragged by the sleeve of her jacket by Diego’s strong grip. 

Juliana could almost feel the lack of oxygen in the room as everyone held their breath. Alacran’s feet stepped forward eagerly, his head twisting as his eyes swept the large, empty space. 

Mat flicked the flashlight around the dark room, stopping hesitantly on anything that could resemble a person. But all that was found were more piles of left over paint tins or rolls of insulation. 

Juliana licked her lips as her heart beat faster and faster in her chest. Her throat was dry and her head felt fuzzy. 

She’d run out of options, run out of ideas, and it would only be a moment longer before Alacran realized Chino wasn’t here. She was almost caught out with no-where to go. 

“Mat, Leo, recon the room.” Alacran ordered.

Juliana watched wide-eyed as Mat and Leo walked forward into the open plan space, their silhouettes soon the only thing visible against the flash of light sweeping across the room. 

“There’s no one here, boss.” Mat shouted as they reached the far end of the space. 

Alacran turned and looked at Juliana with fury in his eyes.

Before she knew it, she’d landed heavily on her backside. A sharp scream of shock and pain left her lips as her head throbbed. She automatically tried to raise her hand to cover her freshly slapped cheek, but the restrains around her wrists prevented her from doing so. So she lay awkwardly on her side on the dirty concrete floor as tears sprung in her eyes. She kept her mouth shut and swallowed the following whimpers of agony. 

“Where the _fuck_ is he?” Alacran bellowed.

Juliana took a moment to compose herself. She tensed her jaw as her determination built. There was no point in messing about here any longer. It was obvious she couldn’t give them what they wanted, but she’d managed to get Valentina to safety, and that was her main objective. She would accept whatever fate was coming her way. 

Juliana willed herself to open her eyes and look at the man who just hit her. She could feel the anger simmering beneath the surface of her skin.

“Fuck you.” She seethed. 

“Boss?” Mat called out in alarm. 

The tone of his voice caught Juliana off guard, and her eyes looked past Alacran and at Mat who was peeking through the plastic covered windows at the front of the building. 

“Get up.” Alacran commanded, his voice measured and controlled. 

It drew Juliana’s attention back to Alacran, who had paid no attention to the other man.

Juliana flexed her jaw once more and shifted onto her knees. An intense heat scorched up her thigh at the movement, and Juliana fell away, shuddering on the ground. The intense aching in her knee almost knocked the wind out of her, and she could see dark blotches begin to form on the edges of her vision. Her skin burned all over, but she could feel her jaw begin to shiver, her teeth chattering. 

In a bizarre delayed reaction, Juliana could no longer hold it in. She let out an excruciating cry of pain as her body convulsed, unable to control her actions. Hot tears fell down her cheeks as her head pounded. She opened her eyes and suddenly felt dizzy, almost as if she could throw up. 

Juliana didn’t feel the two large hands grip her under the arms and lift her back to a standing position. All she knew was that suddenly she was standing, face to face with Alacran. She swayed on her feet as the room blurred around her. She could sense Diego was standing beside her, holding her up.

Everything seemed to slowly fade away. It was almost as if she was underwater, the sounds around her becoming muted. She could barely focus on keeping her eyes open as she began losing her touch on reality. 

She vaguely heard Mat call out to Alacran again, a sense of underlying panic still not enough to take the man’s focus off Juliana. 

Juliana blinked rapidly in an attempt to stop Alacran from splitting into three in front of her. 

When her vision became less shaky, it was obvious the man was holding a gun, and he was pointing it straight at her. Juliana’s mind was incoherent as she took in the dangerous weapon directed at her head. She knew this was it, but there was nothing more she could do about it. She pouted in response.

At this point, it would almost be a relief to get it over with. There was too much pain and her head was too foggy to deal with it anymore. 

“Tell me where he is you little _fucking bitch_.” Alacran snapped, spit flying from his mouth as he yelled.

Juliana closed her eyes and thought of Valentina. She smiled as she remembered sparkling blue eyes, a soft smile, the lightest giggle, the warmest touch. Valentina was all she ever wanted, and if this was going to be the end, Valentina was all she wanted to think about. 

A shake of her shoulders roused her from her stupor. She shook her head gently, trying to get her bearings, but everything was spinning and dark. 

“Boss, we have to get out of here. **NOW**.”

The hand on her shoulder released its hold and she closed her eyes as she rocked unsteadily on her feet. 

A loud crash, rapid popping sounds and a cacophony of chaos broke out around her, but Juliana was too far-gone. 

An intense heat seared through her shoulder and Juliana finally fell swiftly into overwhelming blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been holding onto this one for a few days as i've been hesitant to post it. I'm unsure what the response will be, but hopefully it works out. Without saying too much, this is definitely the last of the angst, so I hope you stick with me!


	19. Beep

_Beep…. Beep…. Beep…. Beep…._

The faint, steady noise was the first thing to poke through Juliana’s consciousness. Her head was heavy and confused, a deep black all she could see. She tried to open her eyes but they felt glued shut, almost as if they had been fused together. She let herself drift for a moment as the fog gradually lifted, her mind slowly pushing away the remnants of insentience. 

As she waded through the haze, her body slowly became more aware of itself. The first thing she noticed was how dry her throat was. Her tongue felt swollen and full in her mouth, her lips chapped. Juliana tried to move the muscle around and swallow, but the lack of saliva made it impossible. She could feel something resting beneath her nose, but she couldn’t quite place what the soft pressure could be.

She could sense her limbs, heavy like lead, resting on what Juliana knew to be a soft surface. She wiggled her fingers as the darkness began to fade away and a soft light could be seen through her eyelids.

She took in a deep breath through her nose and concentrated on opening her eyes. A light ache in the back of her skull was noticeable as she focused. After what felt like minutes, her eyelids finally detached, and a blur of muted colors came into view. 

Juliana blinked slowly in an attempt to clear her vision. The light was soft enough that it didn’t hurt, although she squinted somewhat, and eventually her world became clearer. 

It was immediately evident it was night. The calm of her surrounds and lack of background buzz that exists in a regular day was enough to convince her, but a glance to her left confirmed her suspicions. The darkness of night was reflected through the long bay window, the twinkling lights of a city at sleep sweeping below her, for as far as she could see. 

The cause of light was the bedside lamp that had been left on beside her. It was standing tall on the table, surrounded by vases full of flowers, the cards clipped against the stems falling askew. 

Juliana momentarily wondered why there were so many flowers next to her bed. She never received flowers before, and even if she had, they would be kept out on the kitchen table on display, not in her bedroom. 

Her eyes flicked back to the long bay window and she clicked her heavy tongue in her mouth. 

This wasn’t her room. 

Obscure memories of shouting, dizziness and pain slowly resurfaced, until her eyes looked down to her own body. 

There was a needle in her left hand, a tube running from the small puncture to a metal stand with a drip bag attached, positioned just beside the table adorned with flowers. 

Juliana finally realized the slow beeping was emanating from a small, slim line machine attached to the wall beside her bed, the lights flashing occasionally. A cord attached to a clamp like device on her index finger linked back to the machine. Another set of smaller cables were also attached to the wall contraption, and disappeared under what Juliana thought was a very ugly blue nightgown that she couldn’t quite recall ever seeing before.

Next to the flashing wall attachment was a small tube encased in blue plastic. Juliana’s eyes traced it from the wall, looping down on to the bed before she lost track of it beneath her chin. Using one hand, she gently lifted her arm and fumbled with the cool plastic of the tube. Her fingers lightly followed it up under her chin, around her ears, and down along her cheekbone before it joined at her nose. Juliana grimaced slightly as she pulled it gently away. A light blast of air could be felt from two prongs that had been resting just inside her nostrils.

Juliana let go of the tube, twitching her nose as the prongs settled back into their original position. She had seen tubes like that before in movies, and it generally only meant one thing.

The dull ache in her shoulder became apparent, as did the stiffness in her knee and roughness on her face as she pouted. 

Finally, it dawned on her exactly where she was and why she was there. 

Hospital. 

Alacran. 

The whole ordeal came rushing back, and Juliana huffed as she squeezed her eyes shut. It was almost painful to think about.

The last thing she remembered was Alacran pointing a gun at her, before she fell to the floor. There was no memory beyond that. 

She clenched her jaw and opened her eyes once more, her brain finally caught up. 

She was in hospital. She had survived. 

Juliana’s head turned to the right, taking in the rest of the room. Her eyes widened and her neck lifted as her eyes swept the space.

It was the first time she noticed the figure curled up on a cot like bed against the other wall. It was only a couple of steps away from where Juliana lay, behind a chair that was pressed up against Juliana’s hospital bed. 

Her heart lurched as she thought of Valentina. Was it her? Was she okay? 

The beeping increased as thoughts of the blue-eyed girl came distinctly to the forefront of Juliana’s mind.

The figure sighed and turned, the light finally falling on her face. 

“Ma?” 

Juliana cleared her throat. Her first attempt at speaking was hoarse and nothing more than a whisper. She willed her body to cooperate, so she tried again. 

“Ma. Wake up.”

A light grumble fell from Lupe’s lips in her sleep. 

“Lupe.” Juliana called with a little more strength. 

Lupe twitched her nose in her sleep and lifted her chin, but her eyes remained closed. 

Juliana clicked her teeth together and made to move. She gasped and fell back into the bed at once. Her eyes once more flicked down at her own body. This time, she was able to take in more accurately why she felt a throbbing ache in her shoulder and knee. Her right arm was crossed over her chest, her elbow resting in the crux of a simple white sling. She attempted to raise her arm, but was rendered immobile as a sharp, shooting pain could be felt from her shoulder down her arm. She hissed and clenched her teeth, waiting anxiously for the stabbing pain to slowly ebb away into a dull throb.

It was obvious her knee was being secured by a brace or bandage. The sheets were unable to hide the fact one leg was more bulky than the other. After the pain in her shoulder subsided, Juliana was afraid to test how bad her knee was. 

She swallowed what she could and cleared her throat once more. She shifted her neck, her hair scratching against the white hospital pillow as she turned to look at her mother once more. 

Juliana needed answers. 

“Ma. Wake up.” Her voice was still rough and gravelly, but louder this time. 

Lupe’s hand came to rest on her face, the palm of her hand rubbing at her eyes. She was restless, and Juliana needed to take advantage. 

“Lupe. I need you to wake up now.” Juliana rasped impatiently. 

Slowly, Lupe’s eyes blinked open. She looked around the room for a moment before her head shifted and her eyes found Juliana’s. 

“Ma.” Juliana croaked. 

“Juli?”

“Yeah, ma. It’s me.”

Lupe ripped the sheets from her body and stood shakily, falling over her feet to take the few steps to be beside Juliana.

A shaking hand caressed Juliana’s cheek softly as Lupe leaned over Juliana’s still form. 

“Juliana.” She breathed in relief. “You’re awake.” 

Lupe left a quick kiss on Juliana’s forehead and gave her a watery smile. She wiped at her eyes quickly with trembling fingers, her gaze flitting over Juliana’s features.

“I’m awake.” Juliana offered a small smile in return as her mother’s hand continued to smooth through Juliana’s hair and down the side of her face. 

“I’m so glad you’re finally awake. How are you feeling? Are you sore?” Lupe spoke quickly as her gaze swept over Juliana’s body.

“I need some water, I think.” 

“Of course.” 

Lupe shuffled away into an adjoining bathroom and returned with a paper cup almost brimming with water. Juliana struggled to shift herself into a more comfortable position. The bed she was lying in was already in a semi-upright position, but she had slumped down on the pillows. Lupe placed the cup on the edge of the chair beside the bed before reaching forward. 

“Here, let me help you.” She mumbled. 

Lupe’s hands pushed and lifted at the pillows behind Juliana, while Juliana tried to shuffle herself up without causing any quick movements or searing pain. It wasn’t lost on Juliana that her mother’s hands hovered carefully over her limbs protectively, but she never touched her.

“Be careful, darling.” Lupe whispered as Juliana hissed after a jolt to her shoulder. 

After a few grunts and the use of her good leg, Juliana had finally moved her hips enough to lie down in a more comfortable position. She closed her eyes for a moment and relaxed into the plump pillows before Lupe’s voice broke through.

“Here, open your mouth.”

Juliana did as she was told, and let Lupe slowly tilt the paper cup against her lips. 

The cool water was refreshing as it washed over her tongue and down her throat. As the last mouthful was emptied into her mouth, she let it swirl around before swallowing it greedily. She felt immediately better as she licked her lips, allowing the moisture to seep into her skin. 

Lupe disposed of the cup and sat in the green chair beside Juliana’s bed, scooting it as far forward as the bed would allow. One hand rested on top of Juliana’s head as she peered up at her daughter. 

“Is Valentina okay?” Juliana asked the most pressing question first. 

Lupe’s lips twitched minutely. Juliana noticed the deep circles under her mother’s eyes as they looked at one another. 

“She’s fine, mija. Shaken, but she’s okay.”

Juliana closed her eyes and felt the tension fall away, sinking even further into the bed. It was almost as if an invisible weight lifted from her chest at her mothers words. She could breath a little easier as she took in a deep breath, filling her lungs and exhaling heavily in relief. She swallowed at the tears pricking at her eyes.

Valentina was okay. 

She wanted to ask more, to press Lupe for more answers on Valentina’s wellbeing and whether she had been to visit, but now it was confirmed that Valentina was unharmed, the thought of Alacran and the rest of his men took over.

Juliana licked her lips and faced her mother once more.

“What happened, ma?”

Lupe swallowed and her small smile faltered.

“Do you remember anything?” She asked carefully. 

“Of course. I remember everything up until I blacked out.”

Lupe took in a deep breath, her thumb carefully brushing along Juliana’s hairline. 

“Well, you have a few injuries. But the main thing….” Lupe’s lips downturned as she stopped mid sentence, trying to phrase it as best she could. Her eyes bore deep into Juliana’s. There was no delicate way to say it. “You were shot, Juli.”

Juliana’s eyebrows raised, her mouth fell agape, her brain seemingly malfunctioning at the confession.

“I was shot?” Juliana repeated, shocked at the revelation. 

“The doctors tell me you were very lucky. It hit you in the shoulder.” Lupe explained as her free hand hovered hesitantly over the arm in a sling. “It missed bones and arteries, but they still had to go in and operate to remove the bullet fragments.”

Juliana looked down at her arm slung across her chest. She wiggled her fingers, and nodded her head. 

“So it’s not that bad, then?” Juliana asked, hopeful.

“They say you’ll have full use of your arm once it heals.” Lupe spoke quietly. 

Juliana sighed as she sucked back the rising lump in her throat. She couldn’t quite process whether she was grateful to get out of it alive, or devastated that she was currently sitting in a hospital bed with a gunshot wound. 

And then she remembered the manic look in Alacran’s eye as he glared at her beyond the barrel of a gun. She steeled her nerves and looked back to her mother. 

“What happened to the men?”

Lupe twisted her lips at the question. 

“Do you really want to know?” Lupe asked cautiously.

Juliana drew her brows together, unsure of her mother’s response. 

“Of course I want to know.”

“Alright.” Lupe breathed out. “Two of them died in the warehouse. Multiple gunshot wounds. The other two were taken to the police station and are facing jail time.”

Juliana pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and stared up at the ceiling. She could feel the edges of her vision begin to blur as a wave of tiredness crashed over her. It took her by surprise, the intense drowsiness rushing over her, thick like a blanket. The heavy feeling returned to her limbs, her body releasing all tension in her muscles. She blinked slowly as she mulled over the fate of her captors. 

“Why did you do it, Juli?”

Juliana gulped as she pushed at the tempting wisps of sleep. She had so many questions to ask, so much of what had transpired still unknown. But the pull into slumber was powerful, relentless in its desire to carry her away in the strong current.

“What do you mean?” She replied thickly. 

“What were you thinking? Why would you put yourself in that kind of danger, mija?” Lupe’s voice was desperate, almost pleading.

Juliana turned, finding Lupe’s face close to her own. Half of her face was in shadows, the other shining with artificial yellow light. Yet, Juliana could see each individual eyelash, could see the worry in her mothers eyes. 

She breathed heavily as she began to slip away, her eyelids fluttering. It was too hard to fight against, so she let go, drifting slowly into another deep sleep.

But before she let the darkness completely consume her, she croaked out an answer to her mother’s question. 

“Valentina.”

~

Juliana surfaced from the depths of oblivion slowly. She brushed away the last threads of sleep with her eyes closed as she took in a deep breath. She’d dreamt of watery blue eyes, a dripping pipe, a beeping clock and a sleek, black gun. She tried to more clearly recall the events of her vivid imagination, but as sleep slipped away, so did the details of her nightmare. Despite this, Juliana noticed that the twisted feeling in her gut persisted.

The same unobtrusive beeping from her dream continued as she slowly opened her eyes. Warm mid-afternoon sunlight filtered through the long bay window to her left, bathing the room in an enticing orange glow. 

Juliana grumbled as she roused from her sleep, her eyes blinking, shifting to relieve the pressure on her arm. 

“Juli.” 

Juliana looked up to spot Lupe sitting on the cushions along the bay window, a book fallen open on her lap. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise. 

“Ma.”

Lupe dropped her book on the cushions and stood, walking to stand beside Juliana. Memories of her brief conversation with her mother last night resurfaced as she approached. Lupe’s hand rested comfortingly on Juliana’s good shoulder, a smile on her face. 

“They gave you a pretty high dose of morphine this morning after I told them you’d woken last night. The doctor was concerned you might be in pain.” Lupe pressed a light kiss on Juliana’s forehead before continuing. “He said you most likely wouldn’t wake again today.”

Juliana huffed out a pathetic chuckle and smiled up at her mother. 

“How are you feeling?” Lupe pressed, her eyes scanning the length of her once again. 

Juliana contemplated the question before answering.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m sore but I guess that’s to be expected. And my head feels kind of weird.” 

Lupe hummed at her, a look of pity on her face. 

“I could use another drink of water though, please.” Juliana asked quietly. 

“Sure thing.” 

While Lupe was gone, Juliana readjusted herself on the bed. She used her uninjured left arm to help prop her up, careful of the catheter stuck in the top of her hand. Perhaps it was due to the morphine, but unlike the previous night, she could now sit further forward without too much pain. She knew to keep her shoulder still, so she made sure to tuck in her elbow as she sat upright, her legs still outstretched straight in front of her. She rubbed at the back of her head, the low throbbing still persisting.

Lupe returned with another paper cup full of water, and almost tripped over when she saw Juliana sitting up. 

“Juli, are you alright?” She asked hurriedly.

“Yes, ma. I’m fine.” Juliana placated. “I just needed to sit up for a bit. My back is sore from lying down.”

Lupe sat the cup of water on the bedside, beside the flowers, and reached for something below the bed. As she clicked the small, handheld device, Juliana’s bed moved mechanically. Lupe smiled at her as the bed creaked into a more upright position. When it was at about 130o, Lupe lifted her finger off the machine and helped Juliana settle more comfortably. 

“Would you like me to help?” Lupe asked as she handed Juliana the water. 

“I can take it. Thank you.” 

Juliana bumped the clamp on her index finger as she motioned to take the cup. 

“Here.” Lupe said as she unclipped the device from Juliana’s finger. The beeping stopped immediately, and Juliana raised her eyebrows at her mother. “It’s okay. The doctor said I’m allowed to take it off while you’re awake. Plus, all of these things will alert us if there is a problem.” Lupe clarified as she gestured towards to the cords Juliana had noticed briefly last night. As she glanced down, Juliana noticed her nightgown had shifted enough to display the small, circular monitors attached to her chest. 

Juliana nodded and let out a quiet “oh” before bringing the cup to her lips and gulped down the cool water. 

“Do you mind if I text Valentina?” Lupe asked softly.

Juliana licked her lips as she placed the empty cup back on the bedside. She looked at her mother dumbly in response. 

“She asked me to let her know when you were awake next. She was so disappointed to learn you’d woken last night and she couldn’t be here.” Lupe explained as she walked to the other side of the bed and picked up her phone from her own temporary sleeping arrangement. “She only left about 15 minutes ago.”

“Yes. Please let her know I’m awake.” Juliana replied finally, her voice catching in her throat. 

Lupe smiled and ducked her head, her index finger tapping on her screen, assumedly to send Valentina the news that Juliana was conscious again. 

Juliana felt her heart constrict at the thought of seeing Valentina again. The last time they’d seen one another, she’d confessed her truest feelings to her. They had both told one another they loved the other, under the most strenuous of circumstances, before they were torn away. 

Juliana carefully laid back down into her pillows as she fumbled nervously over the idea of reuniting with Valentina. Juliana couldn’t help but think that perhaps Valentina declared her love for her in the heat of the moment, that there was a chance she didn’t mean it. 

From the moment Juliana admitted to herself that she was, in fact, in love with Valentina, she had imagined the right moment to declare her love for the girl who stole her heart. She daydreamt of a sunny afternoon at Valentina’s lookout, some fresh sushi and light music, where she looked into the most gorgeous shade of blue she had ever seen and confessed to Valentina how she felt. Those dreams of delicate kisses and gentle whispers in a secluded haven had all been shattered from the moment Alacran and his men had taken them by force, and threatened them, and called them out on it. And although it wasn’t ideal, Juliana had blurted out her statement of love while under duress because she was afraid she mightn’t get the opportunity to say it ever again. And Juliana just couldn’t stomach Valentina not truly knowing how she felt if something were to happen. 

All of this aside, it wasn’t that she regretted telling Valentina that she loved her that caused the tight coil of unease in the pit of her stomach. It was a small part of her, deep underneath it all, the tiny whisper that claimed she didn’t deserve it, that Valentina was too good for her. It was the voice of self-doubt that told her Valentina could do better, that she could never love someone like her in return. 

But the idea that Juliana was most fearful of, was the other girl had felt pressure to verbally reciprocate her feelings, even if it wasn’t true. 

“She’s been here every day, you know.” Lupe declared as she sat down on the green chair beside Juliana, her phone in her lap. 

“She has?” Juliana stuttered as she was pulled from her inner turmoil. 

Lupe gave Juliana a knowing smile, her eyes crinkling by the edges as she continued to stare at her daughter. 

“She’s barely left your side.”

Juliana wasn’t sure what brought on the look of understanding in Lupe’s eye, but she felt her throat constrict at the thought of telling her mother that Valentina was more than just a friend. But Lupe’s words sparked a thought of realization she hadn’t considered yet.

“How long have I been here for?” 

Juliana had absolutely no concept of time, nor of how long she’d been asleep for. 

Lupe glanced down at her watch fleetingly before responding. 

“This is the sixth day.” She replied simply.

“Oh.” 

Juliana lifted her uninjured arm to rub at her eyes. Six days was significantly longer than she was expecting. She sat up again, running her hand through her hair. Her face twisted as her fingers got tangled in the mass of knots. 

“I can help with that.” 

Lupe stood and disappeared into the bathroom once more, reappearing with a hairbrush in one hand. Her phone beeped as she stood beside Juliana. Lupe reached down to scoop up her phone, smiling as she read the text message. 

“Valentina is on her way.” Lupe commented as she dropped her phone once more. 

Her attention shifted to gently pulling the brush through the mess of Juliana’s dark hair.

“Right.” 

The room fell quiet as Lupe continued to battle with the hairbrush, the rough scraping of hair being pulled through soft spokes almost hypnotizing. As her mother’s attention was focused elsewhere, it gave Juliana some time to think about what she was going to say to Valentina. She wondered whether it would be awkward between them, or if Valentina would be mad at the way Juliana handled things. She felt her nerves rise at the thought of facing Valentina again. 

After a soft stream of apologies for getting tangled in the knotted locks, Lupe interrupted Juliana’s thoughts.

“It’s been nice getting to know Valentina a little better.” 

“Yeah?” 

“I know the circumstances haven’t exactly been ideal, but she’s a lovely girl. And it’s obvious she cares about you. Deeply.”

“How’s that?” Juliana tried to sound casual, but the slight inflection gave her away.

“She’s been a bit of a wreck, if I’m honest. Seeing you in this state was upsetting to begin with, and she’s refused to leave this room unless she had to, or when visiting hours were over.” Lupe chuckled softly. “Not that visiting hours stopped her. There were times I woke up in the middle of the night and she had crept in and fallen asleep in the chair by your bed.”

“Really?” Juliana felt her skin prickle at the thought. 

“Mmmhmm.” Lupe hummed, the smile evident in her tone. “I don’t ever recall having friends who would do that for me, Juli.”

Juliana twisted to look back up at her mother. There was a slight glint to her eye, her lips upturned as she lowered the hairbrush. 

“She told me what happened. You went to great lengths to keep her safe.” 

Juliana felt her heart thudding in her chest. Suddenly, the prongs in her nose were extremely irritating, suffocating even. She pulled harshly at the tubes and looped them up and over her head, disposing of them beside the bed, before slinking carefully back into the comfort of the pillows propping her up. She was thankful for the slight disruption to the conversation. She had an inkling of what her mother was getting at, but it didn’t make her any less anxious. She could feel her palms begin to sweat as Lupe continued. 

“At first, I was angry at you for putting yourself in such danger to save someone else.” Lupe’s fingers gently brushed at Juliana’s now smooth hair as she spoke. “But after watching Valentina this past week, after seeing how she looks at you mija, it became pretty obvious that she’s got it just as bad.”

Juliana’s mouth dropped open slightly at her mother’s pretty presumptuous statement. This was certainly not the way she was expecting to come out to Lupe, nor was she expecting her mother to be so _okay_ with it. 

Lupe grinned openly at Juliana at her reaction. Words were lost as she tried to process her mother’s acceptance of her interest in another woman. She watched as Lupe bent down, her face hovering in front of her own. 

“Although I hope you never have to do it again, I think it’s very brave what you did. You have so much love to give, mija. Any girl would be fortunate to be on the receiving end of it, but from what I can tell, Valentina is the luckiest.” 

Without permission, Juliana’s face morphed into a pout as silent tears betrayed her, rolling down her cheeks. She knew she’d have to have this conversation with her mother one day, but she certainly wasn’t expecting Lupe to make it this easy and connect the dots for her. She felt somewhat lighter as the reassurance and approval of her mother wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

Lupe pressed her lips to Juliana’s forehead once more and laughed lightly. When she pulled back, Juliana wiped hastily at her eyes. 

“Thank you, ma.”

Lupe shook her head as she straightened. “No need to thank me, mija. You haven’t exactly been subtle since Valentina entered the picture. Although I suspect you weren’t even aware of how obvious it was on your face.”

Juliana choked out a watery laugh, but was stopped short as the movement sent a jolt of pain up through her shoulder. She relaxed back into the pillows and smiled up at her mother. She wished in that moment that she could get up and hug her, to show her how much she loved her and appreciated her support. 

She opened her mouth to explain, to express how deeply she felt, to articulate just how amazing Valentina is. But she was cut short, the sound of the door clicking open beating her to it.

Both women’s gaze turned to watch as Valentina stumbled into the room, her chest heaving as if she had just run a marathon. With her hand still on the silver handle, she stood a little straighter as her blue eyes locked with Juliana’s. 

It was as if time stood still as both women gazed at the other, still and unmoving. Juliana could feel her breath catch in her throat as she finally had physical proof that Valentina was here, alive and uninjured. And she looked just as breathtaking and entirely too beautiful than she could ever conjure up in her wildest dreams.

“Well, I think that’s my cue to leave.” Lupe said quickly as she stepped swiftly to the end of the bed and over to the bay window to pick up her book. “I’ll be back later, Juli.” 

Lupe patted Valentina affectionately on the shoulder as she stepped past her, prying her hand off the door handle and closing it behind her. 

Finally, they were alone. 

“Juls.” Valentina breathed as she stepped towards her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of morphed into something bigger than I had envisioned. So the girls don't quite get to one another this time around, but the next one will be all them! I _think_ 2 to go....  
> Please just pretend any errors you find aren't actually there.  
> And again, thanks for reading!!


	20. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion

“Juls.” Valentina breathed as she stepped towards her. 

Four long strides and Valentina was standing, breathless and awkward, beside the hospital bed. 

“Val.” Juliana whispered, the words barely audible as they passed by her lips. 

Juliana couldn’t form a single coherent thought as her eyes swept over Valentina’s lithe figure. She knew she was checking for any possible injuries, and once she was fairly certain the girl was okay, she felt the tension ease from her muscles as she relaxed back into the scratchy white cotton sheets. So much had happened since they’d last seen one another, big declarations and new information released under pressure, the air between them now slightly cloudy instead of the usual crystal clear. Regardless, Juliana still found herself completely entranced by Valentina’s presence. She couldn’t describe the feeling of having Valentina near, but the sensation was almost tangible. It was as if her aura filled the entire room, snaking its way into every nook and cranny, dusting lightly over Juliana’s skin before sinking in. Juliana could hear the low thudding of her heart beat in her ears, noticed her palms go clammy, and she was once again overwhelmed with her body’s physical reaction to the blue-eye girl. 

Juliana swallowed her nerves, her eyes wide and timid. She smiled weakly and took the moment for herself. She just wanted a minute to look at Valentina, savoring the opportunity to take her all in again. 

Valentina’s hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, while small wisps of hair framed her face wildly, messy like bed hair. Her white shirt was crumpled and hanging loosely from her frame, the buttons pushed into mismatched holes as if done so in haste or without care. Dark bags sagged under her eyes, her irises almost a dull grey rather than their usual bright blue. Her brow was creased as her eyes flicked uneasily over Juliana’s still form, clearly trying to avoid direct eye contact. She gulped thickly, her throat bobbing obviously with the movement, while her fingers fiddled in front of her body. 

Valentina shifted uneasily on her feet, nervous energy radiating off her. It was so palpable, Juliana wanted to raise her hand and simply swat it away. 

It pained Juliana to see the girl like this, so unsure of herself, so clearly exhausted, so awkward and afraid. 

Valentina was standing close enough that Juliana could touch her. Her arm lifted from the off-white waffle blanket, her fingertips brushing against Valentina’s fidgeting hands. With the touch, Valentina finally let her blue eyes settle on Juliana’s brown.

“Come here.” Juliana urged, scooting her body slightly to the side as she spoke, careful not to make a jarring movement. 

The gesture was obvious enough that Valentina sighed a heavy breath and sat tentatively on the edge of the bed. She sucked in her bottom lip, her chin beginning to quiver. Her shoulders were rounded in on herself, her long legs folding to rest up against her chest as she tucked herself into a ball. One arm wrapped around her legs tightly, as if holding herself together. Her cheek rested on her knees, her face turned towards Juliana. With her free hand, Valentina’s fingers danced across the blanket between them, hesitant to touch. 

The edges of Juliana’s mouth downturned as she reached out again, her hand touching lightly on the rough stonewash jeans Valentina wore. 

“Hey.” Juliana murmured. “Are you okay?”

Valentina’s jaw jolted with small movements as she chewed at the inside of her cheek. 

“I should be asking you that.” She replied, her eyes following the trail of her fingers along the ridges of the blanket. 

It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Valentina had yet to touch Juliana. Her skin prickled with need as she thought about why Valentina was holding back. Her fingers increased their pressure on Valentina’s thigh in an attempt to siphon comfort from the older girl. She scratched her nails against the denim, the rough sound oddly calming.

“Val, look at me.” 

Valentina huffed out a breath and dragged her eyes up to Juliana’s face, her expression softening at the edges as she gazed, unblinking, right into her. 

“I’m okay. You can touch me. You won’t hurt me.”

Her hand left Valentina’s leg, her fingertips sliding softly against the coarse denim as she moved. Her thumb and index finger gripped the palm of Valentina’s hand, pulling it up towards her face. She kept her eyes on Valentina as she pressed a light kiss against the delicate pad of each finger, watching as Valentina raised her head from her knees, her lips falling apart. 

“It’s okay.” She whispered again in reassurance as she cupped Valentina’s hand around her cheek, nuzzling into the gentle pressure of a warm palm.

And with that simple touch, Valentina dropped her knees and leaned forward, her forehead pressing against Juliana’s. Juliana closed her eyes and welcomed the intimacy, enjoying Valentina’s warm breath washing over her. She traced her own hand up Valentina’s arm, threading her fingers into the hair behind Valentina’s ear.

“God, Juls.” Valentina whimpered through a sniffle, her fingers grazing delicately along Juliana’s cheekbone. “I’m so sorry.”

“Please, don’t apologize.” Juliana sighed. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

Valentina released a muffled, strangled laugh, in obvious disbelief.

“No, but I do. I’m-“ 

Juliana didn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t lie there, body damaged and aching in a hospital bed, and listen to this beautiful woman tear herself apart over something she had no control over, over something she didn’t cause. She couldn’t handle her heart aching as well. So she closed the gap between them, and tried to stitch together their joint pain with the caress of her lips. 

Valentina gasped at first, almost pulling away by instinct, but Juliana’s hand was firm against her head, keeping her close. It was only a second of hesitation before the older girl melted against her. She breathed out heavily through her nose and pressed in, her own lips surging against Juliana’s. It was gentle and delicate, the deep passes sending healing currents throughout her body. And for the first time since the whole ordeal, Juliana felt like she could breath properly again. She was no longer sucking in air through a straw, but pulling in refreshing lungful’s of crisp air that tasted like freedom and happiness, the lingering scent of Valentina sticking to her insides. 

Too early for Juliana’s liking, Valentina pulled back. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, her lashes wet and dark, a shy smile pulling at her lips. The familiar blue was beginning to return to her favorite pair of eyes. The vision made Juliana’s heart constrict in her chest.

Juliana’s hand dropped to Valentina’s bent leg resting on top of the blankets, observing the changed body language from the taller girl. She was more open, one leg dangling off the side of the bed, her torso now twisted to face Juliana. Valentina’s hand found Juliana’s, the tips of her fingers carefully tracing around the adhesive holding the catheter still and intact. Trembling fingers then barely grazed over the red indents in Juliana’s wrist, the physical reminder of the zip-ties that cut so harshly into her skin. Valentina shuffled closer slightly, her teeth gently biting into the pink flesh of her lower lip.

“Tell me, Val. Are you okay?”

The crease of Valentina’s brow returned as she tilted her head to regard Juliana. She released another deep sigh, her chest heaving with the effort.

“I’ll admit I’ve been a mess. Seeing you here, like this…” Valentina waved absentmindedly at Juliana’s body before pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. “It was really scary. I’ve been so afraid, Juls.” 

Her voice quivered with an emotion Juliana had never witnessed before. It made her heart clinch in her chest, made her hair stand on end. 

“I’m awake now. It’s going to be okay.” She cooed in an attempt to reassure the blue-eyed girl.

Valentina nodded her head slightly, her eyes still wet with tears. She swallowed thickly and lowered her hand to slide against Juliana’s once more.

“You shouldn’t have done it.” She choked.

Juliana felt her eyebrows pinch in confusion. She was struck by the intensity of piercing blue beholding her, as if she was the most precious thing in the universe. A fierce energy began to sizzle in the blue depths before her. 

“Done what?” She asked, a little dumbfounded. 

“Sacrificed yourself for me.”

Juliana gently bit at the inside of her cheeks at the statement, her face relaxing. Was this girl seriously not aware of the lengths Juliana would go to, just to keep her safe? 

“It’s my job to keep you safe, Val.”

Valentina’s eyes lowered, eyelashes flickering with the rapidity of blinks, her face falling ever so slightly. It was obvious to Juliana why she was shying away. There were some pretty important declarations made in the heat of the moment, and it left them in some sort of weird limbo since they had been separated. 

As Juliana lay there, her hand warm in Valentina’s, her whole body reacting so intrinsically to having Valentina close again, everything was solidified in her heart and mind. It just confirmed what Juliana had known for some time now, and she didn’t want to waste any more time dancing around the edges. She desperately wanted to express how she truly felt, and she wanted to tell Valentina how deeply she has fallen every day henceforth.

“But more importantly,” Juliana continued, her blood rushing through her veins. She was about to say it again, out loud, with no-one else around. And it was a moment she would never forget, a moment of liberation. She could finally verbalize how she felt without feeling like she had to, or that it wasn’t the right time. This time she was going to say it on her own terms, and because she wanted to. She slipped her hand out of Valentina’s loose grip and raised her good arm to brush her knuckles tenderly against Valentina’s cheek. The gesture caused curious blue eyes to rise to her own once more. 

“I did it because I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. I did it because I love you, and I would do anything for you.”

Valentina’s shoulders slumped, a shaky breath spilling by her trembling lips. 

“You really mean it?” She uttered, her voice uneven. 

Juliana smiled bashfully, her teeth pulling at her lip in an attempt to quell the absurdity of the smile threatening to split across her face.

“Of course I do, Val. I love you completely, with every ounce of my being. Haven’t I made that obvious yet?”

Valentina closed her eyes as she leant in, twin tears rolling down each cheek. Juliana brushed them away with her thumb, before tracing a perfectly shaped eyebrow. When she was inches away from Juliana’s face, Valentina opened her eyes once more, blue clear as a perfect summers day, rimmed wet with tears. Her white teeth were shining behind curved pink lips.

“God, Juls. I love you too. So much it hurts.” 

Valentina closed the rest of the distance, her lips moving urgently against Juliana’s. Juliana smiled into the kiss, eternally grateful that this was something she was able to do again. She pushed aside those dark thoughts that had clouded her mind since Valentina was taken away, and relaxed into the sweet embrace. A swipe of a tongue and a cheeky nip to Juliana’s lip were left before she pulled back again, a dazzling smile on her face, her eyes crinkling at the edges. 

Juliana couldn’t help but mirror the same look of absolute giddy happiness looking back at her. She could feel her lips stretching out across her face, her cheeks rising as the two women sat in their own bubble of contentment. 

“I’m so glad you’re awake. I’ve missed you so much.” Valentina whispered as she shifted her body to be closer still. 

“Lay down with me.” Juliana said as she shuffled her body to lay more on her side, careful of keeping her other shoulder still. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I want you close.”

Valentina wrinkled her nose in the most adorable expression before moving, her long legs sliding down beside Juliana’s. She lay on her side facing Juliana, her hand resting beneath her cheek, the fingers on her other hand immediately coming up to trace the features on Juliana’s face. 

They lay in companionable silence for a while, eyes fluttering as they gazed at one another, punctuated by coy smiles and gentle chuckles. 

“The bruising on your face has gone down a lot these past few days.” Valentina mumbled, her fingers brushing lightly over the skin. “And the abrasions are looking a lot better.” 

Juliana was yet to see herself in the mirror, so she was unaware of the state her face was in. She knew she had tripped, her face bearing the brunt of the fall due to her hands being tied. She remembered the stinging pain and the ooze of blood down her face, thick and wet. Her brain had recognized the tightness and dull ache on the side of her face when she awoke, but it was the least of her concerns, the pain in her shoulder surpassing all others. 

Her lips twitched and she looked away self-consciously, ducking her head. She hadn’t really thought of what she might actually look like until now, deep under a penetrating gaze. She could feel the faint blush begin to rise, and she shifted uncomfortably. 

“Hey.” Valentina whispered, her slender fingers lifting Juliana’s chin. “Don’t do that. It’s only temporary. It will heal.” 

Valentina lifted herself slightly, her lips brushing gently over the grazes on her face. And with that simple gesture, the panic and angst storming inside began to subside in Juliana’s stomach. Juliana smiled bashfully, wondering how she got so lucky to meet someone who could read her so well, who could react so perfectly to her actions, who could bring such calm when internally she felt so conflicted. 

With one more peck to her nose, Valentina settled back into her original position, eyes relaxed and dreamy. 

“I still think you’re beautiful.” Valentina whispered, offering a silly half-wink. 

Juliana couldn’t help but snuff out a giggle, completely enamored with the woman lying mere inches from her. She wished she could throw both arms around her and stay forever, wrapped up in the warmth and comfort Valentina so easily provides. Instead, she settled for shuffling closer and merely breathing her in.

As much as Juliana didn’t want to ruin it, didn’t want to pop the bubble of comfort and softness the two women had created, she knew she couldn’t put it off forever. She needed to know. She took in a deep breath and released the words she had been itching to ask ever since she woke up.

“Can you tell me what happened? What did they do when they took you away?”

Valentina’s eyebrows arched slightly as she considered Juliana. Her lips pressed into a thin line, but her gaze remained steady and unflinching. 

“Do you really want to talk about this now?” She asked quietly.

“I need to know, Val.”

Valentina look in a deep breath and propped herself up, elbow bending, her palm holding the weight of her head.

“Well, they led me out of that garage and threw me into the back of the same van we arrived in. At least I think it was. That bag was over my head so I didn’t really get an idea of where we were.” Valentina twirled threads of Juliana’s hair through her fingers absentmindedly as she spoke. “I couldn’t do anything but sit in the back of that van and cry. I was absolutely gutted that I had to leave you behind, and I was so scared for you. I was heartbroken.” 

Juliana pouted, her own heart hurting at the idea of Valentina suffering all alone. Her hand brushed over Valentina’s side, the skin beneath as soft as silk. 

“I’m sorry.” Juliana offered quietly.

The other girl shook her head gently as if to say _don’t apologize, I understand._ Her blue eyes watched her earnestly as she blew out her cheeks. 

“Eventually, they pulled to a stop and pushed me out of the van. One of the men pulled the bag off my head and shoved me in the direction of a police station.” She shrugged her shoulders slightly. “I just stumbled my way in there and screamed at them that I’d been kidnapped and to follow the van out front. Of course, it took them a while to calm me down and to understand what had actually happened. They were long gone before any action was taken. Eventually, I got them to call my father and he came straight down.”

“So they didn’t hurt you?” 

Valentina pulled in her bottom lip and shook her head again. 

“No. Other than a few pushes and shoves, I got away fairly well unharmed.”

Juliana closed her eyes and let out a relieved breath. 

“That’s good. I knew I was running a risk by letting you out of my sight, but I had to do something.”

Valentina twisted her lips, eyes narrowing, her expression conflicted. 

“I’ll forever be grateful for the way you looked out for me, Juls. I’m certain without you there things would have been much different. But please don’t do anything so stupid ever again.”

Juliana locked back onto ocean blue eyes and saw the trace of worry hovering beneath the surface, as powerful as a rip current. Long fingers caught Juliana’s chin, holding her close.

“I know why you did it, but I don’t know what I’d do without you. No more sending me away. You’re stuck with me now.”

Valentina spoke with such passion and with such certainty that Juliana could do nothing but press forward and place her lips firmly against Valentina’s. And it felt like it always did, as natural as the breeze, but also almost like falling. The irresistible combination made Juliana want to kiss Valentina forever, and she hoped she never got used to it, or never had to stop. Valentina’s fingers moved to brush the hair behind Juliana’s ear and scratch at her scalp. The two women continued to kiss slowly, pouring all of their unsaid emotions and deeply held declarations into the familiar embrace. 

Juliana pushed her tongue out, searching for something deeper, something more. Her brain almost malfunctioned as the feeling of reciprocation swiped back at her in the next movement, their mouths opening up for one another. Juliana was hungry, desperate to be connected to Valentina in every possible way. Her tongue brushed across Valentina’s urgently, licking at the roof of the other girls mouth. Her body shifted by instinct, wishing to be nearer, always nearer. 

Suddenly, Juliana pulled back with a hiss, her eyes crashing shut in pain. Her shoulder pulsed with the sharp movement, what Juliana imaged to be a hot knife stabbing into her shoulder blade forcing small beads of sweat to break out along her hairline. She took in a deep breath and re-opened her eyes, trying to focus back on something good.

“You’ve got to be careful.” 

Valentina reprimanded her quietly, but as Juliana relaxed back into the pillow, she noticed the girls pupils were larger, her expression soft, her lips still wet. Juliana poked her tongue out playfully as the pain was pushed to the wayside, the girl in front of her too captivating to waste time worrying about discomfort.

Valentina’s hand lingered against Juliana’s cheek, gentle and reassuring. Her fingers developed a pattern as they leisurely traced Juliana’s jawline, every so often curling around the shell of her ear before repeating. The silence was soothing, and Juliana was content in just basking in Valentina’s company. The fingers of her good hand were now hooked through the belt loops in Valentina’s jeans, tugging at them to keep the blue-eyed girl close.

“Is now a good time to ask about Chino?”

Valentina’s small voice broke the silence, the low thrumming of the room suddenly loud in Juliana’s ears. She had somehow forgotten that she had been forced to disclose her father’s identity while Valentina was in the room. It was the crucial part of her plan to get Valentina out of harms way, but her brain hadn’t quite resurrected that memory as yet. Juliana knew the circumstances they found themselves in wasn’t the right time to unload that kind of sensitive information about such a large part of Juliana’s life, but she wasn’t given a choice, and she had to play her cards right in the given situation. 

Juliana tightened her jaw as she thought about how she should approach this topic with Valentina. It was obviously something Juliana had kept hidden for a reason, and she wouldn’t blame Valentina for being angry with her for not revealing it much earlier. Especially considering Valentina’s father, Juliana’s own employer, was reporting on Chino’s involvement in certain illegal activities. And reporting on those activities had brought a certain level of threat to his family. 

“I know I should have said something earlier. I was just so scared about what you would think about me, and I didn’t know how to handle it without you being disappointed in me or not wanting anything more to do with me.” 

Juliana let out a frustrated grunt as she struggled to vocalize herself properly. Her head turned to look at the ceiling, needing a distraction from the penetrating blue. She focused on one of the down lights overhead, and watched as particles of dust could be seen floating about the room.

“I did the wrong thing, I know I did. You should have known about him, I should have told you. But I was so frightened that he would find you, and I knew Leon would have me taken away from you if he knew. So I kept my mouth shut because I couldn’t bare the thought of you being out there with someone who wasn’t me, when anything could happen to you.”

Juliana could hear Valentina let out another sigh before scooting even closer.

“You know, when you told me way back at Guille’s party that your dad wasn’t a very nice person, I didn’t quite realize the extent of how not nice he was.”

Juliana turned with a quizzical look on her face to see Valentina smirking back at her. She was so close their noses were almost touching. She balked at the memory that rushed to the surface. 

She remembered the two of them standing on a balcony of the Carvajal mansion not long after she started the job. Juliana had seen red after observing Lucho man-handling Valentina on the dance floor. It was too reminiscent of how Chino had treated her mother, with disrespect and the need for control. After asking if Juliana had any siblings, or why her parents never had any more children, she had deflected Valentina’s loaded question with a brush off comment about her father not being very nice. _A sibling would have been just another person to shield from the harshness of the world._

Juliana snorted lightly. 

“I’d forgotten about that.”

Valentina’s expression was soft as she gazed at her with a simple quirk of her lips.

“I remember thinking how on earth anyone could mistreat you.”

Juliana scrunched up her nose at the softly spoken response. She wasn’t sure if it was possible, but Juliana fell just a tiny bit deeper for the blue-eyed girl. She was holding her with such care and devotion, forgiving her before Juliana even had the chance to apologize, that Juliana wondered just which lucky star she had wished on that made her dream come true. _I wish to meet someone, someday, who will love me so deeply I won’t ever feel alone._

“I’m sorry I didn’t mention him sooner.”

Valentina dismissed the apology with a quick peck on the tip of Juliana’s nose. _Don’t be_ , it said. 

“Do you know where he is?”

Juliana shook her head gently against the pillow the two women were sharing. 

“No. We haven’t heard from him since we left over two years ago. I wouldn’t have a clue where he is now or what he’s doing.” Juliana frowned slightly as the thought entered her mind. “Actually, I’m not even sure he’s alive.”

“I guess his line of work isn’t particularly safe.”

Juliana laughed through her nose at Valentina’s pertinent observation. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So, you didn’t lead those men to the warehouse because you thought he was there?”

It never occurred to Juliana that people could misconstrue her intention of leading the men up the garden path could actually be taken as fact. The notion that she was actually aware of Chino’s whereabouts made her stomach turn. She was surprised her mother hadn’t mentioned anything. 

“No, of course not. That warehouse was the only place I could think of to take them. I knew it would be empty because I’d been there with Guille only weeks prior, so no-one else would land in the cross-hairs if they decided to get rid of me.”

Valentina winced somewhat, her eyebrows tightening at Juliana’s casual mention of her very close near death experience. 

“I never want or need to see Chino again in my lifetime. He was a shitty father, and he treated Lupe like she was something he owned. I was only using him as a bargaining chip, and luckily for us, those morons took the bait.”

“It’s okay.” Valentina whispered gently, her fingers feather light against her skin. “I believe you.”

Juliana clicked her tongue and took a deep breath, concentrating on the way the air filled her lungs. She held the air in her chest and huffed it out through puffed cheeks. 

“It was probably the best place you could have taken them, anyway.” Valentina continued to talk quietly. 

“Why’s that?” 

“Security had only been tracing you for 10 minutes when you tripped the alarm in the warehouse. It made it quicker for nearby cars to get to your location once they connected the dots and figured out where you were.”

“Wait, how was I being traced?”

Valentina flashed a cheeky, lopsided grin before responding, “your wristband.”

Juliana’s mouth fell agape, her eyeline moving to her wrist in reflex, but of course it was no longer there. She had no idea. 

“The security band we were all issued once the threat became clear?”

“That’s right. Javier and papa didn’t want to freak you guys out, but it was precautionary in case anyone was taken. We were supposed to carry them as well but I may have forgotten mine in the office that evening.” 

Valentina blushed lightly, her voice lowering in embarrassment. 

“Val!” Juliana admonished.

“I know, I know, it was stupid. Don’t worry, I’ve heard enough about how careless I was. I don’t need to hear it from you, too.” 

Valentina watched her with wide puppy-dog eyes, her voice pleading with Juliana to cut her some slack. Juliana gave her a sympathetic look, her face scrunching up. 

“But I guess it wasn’t me who needed the trace in the end.” Valentina continued once she returned Juliana’s small smile. “Once Javier was alerted to your kidnapping, they immediately logged in to GPS track the band and you were moving. Cars with security were sent to find you and the police were notified. By the time the alarm in the warehouse went off, the alert went out to all cars and it looks as if they got there just in time.”

Valentina’s bright eyes flicked to Juliana’s shoulder, indicating exactly what she meant. She was right, it had been close. Juliana doesn’t even want to delve into thoughts about what could have happened had the cavalry not turned up right at the exact moment they did.

“Well, I guess I have some thanking to do.” 

Valentina rolled her eyes dramatically. 

“I don’t think so. You risked your life to keep me alive. You don’t need to be thanking anyone. If anything, we will continue to try thanking you.”

Juliana puckered her eyebrows, her gaze flitting about the room as the realization finally clicked. 

“Leon is paying for my hospital bill, isn’t he?”

“Of course he is.” Valentina replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. “We basically paid for half of the hospital anyway, so it wasn’t difficult to get you this room.” She said, her eyes also scanning around the space, clearly much nicer than a regular hospital room. “But putting that aside, papa said he is forever in your debt for saving my life anyway, so I would say that paying for your hospital bills is only just the beginning.” 

Juliana opened her mouth to speak, but Valentina prevented words from escaping with a succession of gentle kisses to her lips and cheeks. 

“Don’t. Don’t say anything. It’s just happening, so just go with it.” She whispered against Juliana’s skin, and so she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of Valentina’s soft lips against her. She can argue about that with her later. 

Eventually Valentina pulled away, her head resting back on the shared pillow. Juliana’s eyes traced down Valentina’s long neck, her eyes falling on the small pendant resting on the milky skin of Valentina’s chest. 

Her fingers reached out, gently touching the pearl in the center before the rough edges of diamonds could be felt underneath. She felt her face form into a lopsided smile as she glided along the triangle points of the half-sun necklace. As simple as it was, the small necklace was symbolic of their resilient and unwavering love and affection for one another. Another wave of gratitude and relief swept through Juliana, rustling underneath her skin and taking hold in her chest as she sent a wordless _thank you_ to whoever was listening. 

Her fingers left Valentina’s neckline, turning to touch the other half of the sun. But as her thumb and index finger patted along her own chest in search of her most treasured possession, she felt her face crumple when she came up short. 

“But,” She mumbled, disappointment bitter on her tongue. 

“Hey, don’t worry.” Valentina whispered, her hands digging deep into her jean pocket. Her tongue poked out against her teeth in concentration, a sure smile gracing her lips as she pulled out a gold chain with a half-sun pendant hanging from the end. Juliana felt her heart soar. 

“They had to remove it when you went into surgery, so I held onto it for you. Here.” She said, unclasping the delicate lock and looping the gold chain around Juliana’s neck. She pulled Juliana’s hair aside and pressed it against her chest once it was secured around her neck. 

“There. Back where it belongs.”

“Thank you, Val.” Juliana hummed, breathless with the thoughtfulness of the gesture. 

“Anything for you, mi amor.”

When Valentina settled, their faces were only inches apart. Juliana watched as the light danced across Valentina’s face, the orange rays of afternoon sun reflecting off her eyelashes, giving them an almost translucent appearance. It bounced enticingly off a diamond earring, splaying beads of light across her cheek, almost as if inside a disco ball. The tiny hairs on her face were noticeable under the soft glow, small creases forming on the edge of her lips as she shifted into an easy smile. Her eyes were a clear blue now, turquoise like the waters she only ever dreamt of swimming in. And Juliana desperately wanted to dive into the clear depths before her and stay there forever. 

Valentina’s hand raised between them, attempting to cover a yawn that seemed to shake her whole body. Her chest shuddered, trying to suck in as much air as possible, her eyes crinkling shut with the intensity of the stretch.

“Sorry.” Valentina sighed sheepishly, wiping underneath her eyes as she nuzzled back into the pillow. 

As Juliana continued to gaze at the other woman, the lines of exhaustion became more and more obvious. Long blinks, heavy lids and dark bags all giveaways to the sleep deprivation and worry the blue-eyed girl endured ever since they were taken unwillingly from the street. 

Juliana shifted to lie onto her back, sliding her good arm underneath Valentina’s neck. 

“Come here.” She whispered, her arm pulling Valentina closer.

Valentina didn’t hesitate this time. She was easily led, her head landing softly in the crook between Juliana’s shoulder and neck. She slid an arm over Juliana’s waist, careful to not knock the arm held tight in a sling, and melted against the warm body next to hers. 

Juliana stretched her neck and pressed delicate kisses along Valentina’s hairline. In what felt like seconds, Valentina’s body lost all tension, her limbs relaxing into dead weight, deeply exhaled puffs rippling across the ugly blue nightgown clinging to Juliana’s chest. 

They still had so much to talk about, but all of that could wait for now. With everything that happened, she was still alive and happy, with the woman she loved curled up asleep against her. 

Juliana smiled and quickly followed suit, her own eyelids drooping closed and allowing darkness to seep into her bones and crawl into her brain, the warmth against her an anchor to sweet dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! Sorry it took me a little longer than usual to update.  
> I actually wrote 4 pages of this chapter before scrapping it because I hated it, and then it took me another two weeks to figure out how the hell I wanted this all to happen... it was tough.  
> I think I'll do another chapter to wrap this all up before the ending, but we'll see how it all pans out.  
> Hopefully you all enjoy the chapter - it took a whole lot of time and energy to get this one out to you.  
> And as always, thanks for sticking around!


	21. Girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> park dates and serious questions

The next week was somewhat of a blur. Interviews with police, consultations with various specialists, hours of physical therapy and a steady stream of visitors kept Juliana busy. The small pile of books her mother bought and placed by her bedside remained untouched, next to the gradually wilting flowers, as she found barely enough time to herself. 

To Juliana’s delight, Valentina arrived promptly when visiting hours opened every morning, a new bouquet of flowers clutched tightly in her hand and a bright smile across her face. There was no feeling comparable to the moment Valentina swept into the room. 

Juliana had never known happiness like it. 

The blue-eyed girl was by Juliana’s side through every excruciating moment. 

She clapped and encouraged from her perch on a green hospital chair during the hour of daily physical therapy to work on the recovery of Juliana’s previously dislocated knee. She held onto Juliana’s hand when the nurse changed the dressing on the wound in her shoulder, grazing gentle kisses onto her knuckles to distract her. She listened attentively when the nurse showed Lupe and Valentina how to change the dressing themselves in preparation for Juliana’s eventual release. During the quieter moments, she sat amongst the cushions lining the bay window with her legs parted, patient as Juliana adjusted herself comfortably between her legs, and read stories to her quietly as she twirled long, dark hair around her fingers. She stood stoically by her side when Juliana provided the detectives with her statements and answered their follow up questions. She beamed proudly and held on tightly to their joint hands when Leon thanked Juliana profusely for protecting his youngest daughter, and nodded his approval with shining eyes. She cheered ecstatically when the doctor finally removed the sling from Juliana’s arm and handed Lupe the discharge papers. 

Juliana had never known happiness like it. 

~

“How did the session go?”

Juliana smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror, her hairbrush clinking against the ceramic basin as she put it down.

“They’ve finally given me the all clear.” 

“What? Really!?” 

Valentina practically squealed down the phone in excitement. Juliana giggled in amusement at the other woman’s reaction. 

“Yep. No more physical therapy sessions for me. They say I have enough range of movement back in my knee now. I just need to keep doing the home exercises, but I don’t have to endure any more appointments.”

“Juls, that’s amazing news.”

“I know. Now I just have to wait for these stitches to dissolve in my shoulder and I’ll be all set.” 

Juliana glanced at the white gauze adhesive covering the wound. Her fingers traced around the outline of the sticky covering. She’d been careful since losing the sling, but she had recovered much quicker than she expected. She could almost use her shoulder as normal, but couldn’t quite reach for things or sleep on that side for too long. 

“Well, I think this is cause enough to celebrate.” 

Juliana could hear Valentina’s smile through the phone. She narrowed her eyes at her reflection, curious to what Valentina had in mind. 

“Mmmm? And what were you thinking?”

“Nothing strenuous, of course. I’ll look after you. What do you say? Let me take you somewhere.”

Juliana craned her neck to look over her face. The bruises and abrasions had faded enough that they were barely noticeable anymore. Juliana’s fingertips lightly brushed over the few light marks that were left. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she had been self-conscious of the blotches and red marks that marred her face. She hadn’t really left the apartment since she arrived home from the hospital over a week ago because of it.

She took in a deep breath and nodded her head, lifting her chin as she stared at herself while responding. 

“It might be nice to get some fresh air.”

Juliana had to hold the phone away from her ear as Valentina squealed in enthusiasm. 

“This is going to be the best! I’ll be there in thirty minutes, love. Get ready!” 

Without giving Juliana a chance to reply, the call ended. 

Juliana held her phone out in front of her, watching in surprise as the display changed from Valentina’s name back to her home screen. She could do nothing but embrace the smile that stretched across her face before making her way back to her bedroom to change. 

~

“Where are you headed?” Lupe asked from the kitchen as she dragged a blue dishcloth across the counter. 

“Valentina is taking me out somewhere.” Juliana replied as she dropped her phone in her small handbag.

“You be careful. I know that everything is looking better, but you still need to watch yourself.” Lupe raised her eyebrows in an attempt to convey how serious she was.

“Yeah, ma, don’t worry. We’re not silly, we won’t be doing anything crazy.” 

“Don’t roll your eyes at me. You know I worry about you.”

The patterned knock on the door interrupted the conversation, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. Lupe laughed and turned her attention back to cleaning up the kitchen. Juliana took that as permission, and practically lunged at the door. 

“Juls!” Valentina gushed as she pulled Juliana into a careful hug, a move she had perfected since Juliana could stand again. 

“Hey, Val.” Juliana said softly as she wrapped her own arms around the other woman. 

And just as it happened any time Valentina appeared, Juliana felt immediately calmer, the rest of her worries melting away as she was captivated by the sight and smell of the blue-eyed girl. She relished in the feel of their bodies pressing close together, and held on tighter in response.

Valentina pressed a quick kiss to Juliana’s cheek as she pulled away, her seemingly boundless energy vibrating from every pore. Her eyes were wide and bright, a light dusting of color under her cheeks, her teeth white and bright behind an infectious smile. Her hair was tussled around her shoulders, flowing over the top of a simple white top, a pearl and diamond half-sun necklace hanging against her chest. 

Juliana trailed her hand down a bare arm and snuck her fingers between Valentina’s, holding her tight and never wanting to let go. 

Valentina’s blue eyes lifted to look at something behind her. 

“Hi, Lupe. Do you mind if I steal Juliana for the afternoon?”

Juliana turned slightly as Lupe approached them with a soft smile on her face. 

“You be careful with her, Vale.” Lupe insisted with a slight tilt of her head. 

“Always.” Valentina promised with a gentle squeeze of Juliana’s hand. 

Juliana felt her heart thump in her chest at the familiarity of their greeting, and the affectionate tone in which they spoke to one another. This kind of interaction between the two most important people in her life was all Juliana could ever ask for. There was no stopping the cheesy smile that spread wide across her face. 

Lupe cupped Juliana’s cheek and winked. 

“You have fun now, girls.”

“Thanks, ma.” 

“Thanks, Lupe. See you later!” 

The girls spoke in unison, their enthusiastic voices merging as they waved Lupe goodbye, eager to start their afternoon together. They wasted no time in turning and leaving the apartment, hand in hand. 

Valentina walked by Juliana’s side, allowing her to set the pace. Even though she had been advised she could go back to moving around normally, Juliana hadn’t done too much walking since her release from the hospital. She knew she needed to take it easy if she was going to last the afternoon, and Valentina showed no indication of minding the slow pace she set. Valentina held onto her hand, swinging it between them as they made their way down the hallway, out of the building, and into the back of a familiar large SUV. 

“Juls, this is Claudia. She’s one of the new drivers.” Valentina introduced her to the strange girl sitting in the drivers seat as they buckled in. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Valdes. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Claudia replied with a smile, her eyes kind as she found Juliana’s in the rear-view mirror. With dark hair and youthful tanned skin, Juliana guessed the girl was in her mid twenties.

Juliana smiled and nodded in return, her eyes narrowing as she took in the girl. It was strange, to be in this position. She wasn’t privy to sitting in the back of one of these vehicles, chauffeured around by a Carvajal employee. She pushed her uncertainties aside before turning to Valentina. 

Slender fingers reached out and reconnected their hands, a striking blue gaze already set on her.

“So, where are we going?” Juliana asked as she felt the car pull away from the curb. 

“It’s a surprise.” Valentina smirked as she lowered her voice. 

Juliana quirked an eyebrow and shuffled ever closer, her thigh pressing against the length of Valentina’s. 

The two women spent the entire car trip in their own little world, content with whispering their affections to one another, their hands restless in their desire to touch, light giggles and playful admonishments occasionally loud enough for the driver to glance up and smile, not that either woman was paying her any mind.

After what felt like 2 minutes, but was more likely 20, the car slowed to a stop and a light voice popped their bubble. 

“We’re here, Miss.” 

Claudia spoke merrily, her smile wide as she glanced at the two women over her shoulder. Before either woman could respond, she’d opened her car door and disappeared. Juliana ran her tongue over her teeth as the driver reappeared outside of Valentina’s door, holding it open. 

Valentina playfully winked at Juliana before sliding out of the back of the vehicle and holding her hand for Juliana to follow her. 

Juliana joined Valentina on the sidewalk, slid on her sunglasses and lifted her face to the sky. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, the heavy scent of sun, sky and warmth flowing through her blood stream, the gentle heat from the sun sinking into her skin before being whisked away by a graceful breeze. The sounds of a slamming door and voices talking quickly faded into the background as Juliana focused on the hand encased safely in her own.

“Ready?” Valentina whispered into Juliana’s ear.

Juliana smiled instinctually, the breath against her cheek tickling before a soft kiss caused Juliana to stand taller, her eyes wide in wonder as she turned to face the girl standing closely beside her. 

“It’s okay.” Valentina’s smile widened even further as she took in Juliana’s surprised expression. 

“But -,” the rest of the words were stuck in Juliana’s throat as her eyes scanned the street, watching as people continued to walk by, too immersed in their own worlds to bother looking their way.

“Hey.” Valentina muttered, bending as she placed something on the ground, her hand raising to cup Juliana’s cheek, turning her face back towards her. “It’s alright. We can do this now.”

Juliana held her breath as Valentina leaned in, her lips pressing tenderly against her own. 

After a quick moment of hesitation, Juliana’s own lips moved to fit Valentina’s more snugly between them, content to sit in the gentle embrace for as long as Valentina let them. The confidence Valentina had in showing a public display of affection like this sunk into Juliana’s skin, and it felt liberating, cathartic even. There was no more hiding, no more fumbling about in the night. Here they stood, in the middle of a busy sidewalk in the middle of the day, and it felt so right. It had never been wrong. 

Juliana hummed in quiet satisfaction as Valentina’s tongue trailed swiftly across her lips, quickly getting lost in the warm sensation. Valentina shifted and Juliana couldn’t quite manage to open her eyes. Tender kisses trailed from her lips to her ear, warm breath setting her skin alight. 

“You’re so beautiful.” 

Juliana tipped her head back, a light, cackling laugh released from her throat. She had never been gracious when receiving compliments. 

When she finally opened her eyes, she could have fallen over by the force in which Valentina was looking at her. Lip tucked between her teeth and the sun bouncing off her golden locks; Valentina was positively radiant.

“Have you seen you?” Juliana tried to deflect, feeling strangely exposed by the intensity of Valentina’s burning blue eyes. 

Valentina huffed out a sardonic breath, flicked Juliana a cheeky grin, and bent down to collect the basket from the ground. She tugged lightly on Juliana’s hand, directing her to move. 

“Come on. I’m hungry.”

Juliana followed Valentina blindly, her feet shuffling along behind billowing chestnut hair and outstretched arms. A smile tugged at Juliana’s lips as a fleeting thought crossed her mind. She would follow her anywhere, and she would continue to follow for as long as Valentina allow her. 

They walked beneath the old trees lining the street and onto the dense green grass of a large park. They smiled as they breathed one another in, peaceful in the simple detail that they could do this freely, and without fear. They shared sneaky smiles as they continued their stroll through the changing landscape. They pointed in awe at the color of a budding flower, giggled at a woman when she almost fell off her roller skates, and rummaged around in their pockets to throw some coins at a busker gently strumming his guitar on a park bench.

Finally, Valentina steered them to a shady spot on an empty space of green lawn, coming to a halt beneath a large cypress tree. 

Juliana watched Valentina as her eyes flitted around, her feet poking the grass, bending to pick up a stray stone or stick and discarding them to the side. When satisfied the area was clear, Valentina lifted the lid of the cane basket she had carried with her, revealing a red blanket laying on top. She grasped the sides and with a flick of the wrist, the blanket unfurled in the light breeze, the tassels on the edges fluttering around wildly as Valentina lifted it into the air before laying it to rest on the lush grass. 

Valentina stepped forward onto the blanket and finally turned to look at Juliana, her arm outstretched. 

“Come. Sit down with me.”

Juliana took the offered hand and joined Valentina on the blanket, bracing herself on her arm to lay on her side, her legs straight, her elbow propping her up. 

Valentina sat cross legged next to her and with a disarming smile, dragged the cane basket beside her and began pulling out an assortment of foods. 

Soon enough, a small wooden chopping board was covered with an array of sushi rolls, rice balls and edamame. Juliana’s eyes widened at the Japanese smorgasbord laid out before her, as Valentina clipped shut plastic containers and placed them back inside the basket. 

“Val, this is amazing.”

Valentina shrugged her shoulders self-consciously.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Val.” Juliana ducked her head to gain Valentina’s attention. The food spread out before her took time and effort to organise, and it was beautifully reminiscent of their date at the lookout. It was a memory that felt like a lifetime ago, but warmth spread through her veins at the thought of it, the beginnings of their love just blooming.

“But I do have a question.”

Valentina’s light blue eyes finally looked up, eager to please. 

“Yes?”

“Do I have to use chopsticks?”

A sly smile slowly made its way onto Valentina’s face before the girl broke into the most adorable bout of giggles Juliana thinks she’s ever heard. 

Valentina sat up straighter and reached back into the cane basket, pulling out two sets of chopsticks, a mischievous grin on her face. 

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to use them. You did so well last time, though, so I brought a set in case.”

This time it was Juliana’s turn to laugh. 

Valentina had been patient enough to teach Juliana how to use chopsticks, in the dark on top of the hood of a car. She wasn’t about to let all of that effort go to waste. She plucked a set of chopsticks from Valentina’s grasp and held them in her fingers, demonstrating proudly to Valentina that she remembered exactly how to use them. She fumbled slightly with the food, her fingers shaking with concentration, but the first slice of sushi made its way to Juliana’s mouth successfully. 

Valentina whooped and cheered and leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on Juliana’s lips. 

“You remembered!” She exclaimed. “I’m so proud.”

The two women continued their lunch, filling their bellies with the most delicious Japanese cuisine Mexico City had to offer. The ease in which Juliana felt, a comfortability she only ever knew with Valentina, settled deep into her bones. They ate and laughed, carefree like there were no worries in the world. 

Once they were bursting at the seams, Juliana lay back groaning, her hand on her stomach. Valentina swiftly lifted Juliana’s head and placed it carefully in her lap, her fingers threading through the long strands of hair, calmly forming a pattern. 

Juliana threw her sunglasses to the side, closed her eyes and relaxed. Her heart and stomach were full, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this peaceful. 

Just as Juliana felt as if she could float away into sleep, Valentina’s voice poked through. 

“Do you remember the conversation we had in this park? When I asked about your dad?”

Juliana blinked repeatedly, her eyes adjusting to the light. She looked up to find an upside down Valentina gazing at her softly. 

She filtered through the conversations she’d had with Valentina, but was coming up short. She didn’t remember mentioning her father to Valentina, and for good reason. 

“No.”

Valentina’s lips twitched to the side, her eyes searching. 

“It was the day we went shopping. You know, before the dressing room…” Valentina trailed off, a light smattering of red appearing beneath her cheeks. 

Juliana bit her lip, restraining a smile, as the memory of pinning Valentina up against the dressing room wall rushed to the surface. She could see it, remember it, vivid in her mind as if it happened yesterday. Her fingers plunged deep inside, restrained moans whined into her ear, teeth biting harshly into her shoulder as she held Valentina up, her body quaking under her ministrations. 

The thought of it alone sent a thrill pulsing through her, her skin prickling. 

But that wasn’t the memory Valentina was looking for. She swallowed as she pushed that vision aside, hard as it may be. She made a quick note to take Valentina shopping again soon. 

Her eyes fluttered shut as she focused on that day. Slowly, Juliana recalled walking through this same park, Valentina by her side, as she asked what happened to her dad. 

_*_

_“What happened to your papa?” Valentina asked after a couple moments silence._

_Juliana felt her face fall into one of neutrality. She had conflicting emotions about her father, ones that she tried not to divulge too much into. Instead of feeling them, she tried to forget about him as much as possible._

_“I don’t know.” She confessed. “After I graduated from high school, Lupe arrived home from work early one day in a state. She told me to pack our bags, said that we were leaving. I didn’t ask any questions. I just packed up what I could fit in my bag and she drove us away. She has family here in the city so that’s why she chose to come here. We haven’t looked back since and I have no idea what happened to my dad. I never asked.”_

_A slight breeze picked up suddenly, ruffling through Juliana’s hair. It cooled the light coverage of sweat that had sprung up on her hairline. She breathed in deeply. It was a stunning day, the sun bright and warm, the park vibrant and full of life, a steady hand gripping onto her own._

_“Aren’t you curious?” Valentina asked quietly._

_Juliana turned her head to regard Valentina. Instead of watching the ground, her eyes now bore into her own. She had a serious expression on her face, her brows furrowed as she chewed on the inside of her cheek._

_“You don’t have to answer…”_

_“No, Val. It’s fine. It’s just complicated.” She admitted. “You remember when I said that my dad wasn’t the nicest guy in the world?” Juliana asked, remembering their conversation on the balcony, the night of Guille’s birthday party._

_Valentina nodded her head as she thought back to that same night._

_“Well, my father never really acknowledged that I was his. It wasn’t the nicest environment to grow up in. So when my mother told me to get in the car and we drove across the border, I didn’t want to know what happened, or what he did. I was just happy to start fresh.” She squeezed Valentina’s hand. “I never needed him then, and I don’t need him now. I don’t want to know.” She said firmly, as if willing herself to believe her own words._

*

Juliana filled her lungs with fresh air, her chest rising as the intake of oxygen expanded her thoracic cage. She puffed out her cheeks dramatically, holding in the air before blowing it back out in one long exhale. She was always a little nervous when the topic of her father came up. She wasn’t sure where this conversation was going to lead, but she trusted Valentina, so she nodded her head slowly. 

“Yeah, I remember.”

Juliana focused on the repetitive stroking of her hair, the motions soft and careful, as her mind tried to connect why Valentina might be bringing this up now. The distant sounds of couples laughing, of children playing, of people talking, continued to surround them as they lay on the red blanket. 

Valentina made no motion to continue her train of thought, but it got the better of Juliana. 

“Why do you ask?”

Valentina cleared her throat, her fingers moving to run along Juliana’s hairline. They drummed lightly, the delicate touch mesmerizing. 

“I couldn’t understand why you had no interest in knowing where you father was. Even though you’d said he wasn’t very nice, I still didn’t really understand the extent of that.”

Juliana bobbed her head slightly to reassure Valentina she was listening. Her own fingers fidgeted, pressing into her knuckles that were clasped over her stomach. 

“I’ve grown up in this environment where my dad is a huge part of my life. I’ve never really known anything other than love, and maybe a little overprotectiveness, from my father. So for you to say you didn’t want anything to do with yours, my brain couldn’t quite compute that scenario.”

Valentina huffed out a breath, her teeth clicking together. Juliana’s body was still, her mind confused at what the other woman was getting at.

“I think I was sad for you, when we first talked about it. I was sad that this man was out there somewhere, and you didn’t want anything to do with him. And then I thought about what this man could have done to break the bond between father and daughter. I mulled over what kind of things had happened between you that led you to giving up on him, surrendering all hope for him, relinquishing your love or need for him.”

Juliana shifted uncomfortably. Her fingers picked at her nails as she fought against those moments long ago, in what felt like another life. She gulped at memories of the tiny trailer the three of them inhabited, the blank look in her fathers eye when he regarded her, the utter disdain in his voice when he addressed her. She could feel the tension beginning to form under her skin, her jaw clenching as Valentina continued. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, I get it. I just want you to know that I understand now, as much as a person who wasn’t in the situation can understand it. And I’m so sorry I didn’t comprehend it before.”

Juliana clicked her tongue, her cheeks sucking in with the motion. She hadn’t really spoken with anyone about him before. Juliana did her best to relax her shoulders. She could do this. She could talk about Chino with the one person who might actually care. It might even be a good thing, to air some of her grievances with the man. 

“Thank you, Val, for trying. But you don’t get it.” She said quietly, her eyes still watching her fingers pick intently at her nails. “You’ve got no idea what it was like to grow up with a father who acted as though you didn’t exist, and when you got in his way, he made you feel like you were nothing more than gum on the bottom of his shoe. Unwanted. A hindrance.”

Juliana’s fingers found their way into one of the tassels on the edge of the blanket. She busied herself with turning the clump of red material over between her fingers, trying to find the right words to say.

“But that’s okay. I would never want you to understand, because to understand would be to experience. And you’ve been lucky enough to grow up with a man who looks at you as if you are his princess. But I’m thankful for that, because without it, you could have been a completely different person.”

Juliana turned her head in Valentina’s direction, but couldn’t quite bring herself to look directly at her. 

“Those men we encountered are as close to that life that I ever want you to be.” 

“Juls.” 

Juliana could almost hear Valentina’s voice tremble. 

“It’s okay. Please don’t be upset. You are too good, too pure for that world, Val.” Juliana said as she finally locked eyes with blue. 

She lifted her hand to find Valentina’s, her hand resting in Juliana’s hair. She tugged at it, bringing her palm to her lips. She kissed Valentina’s fingertips softly, thankful that she was even here and able to do this. She offered her a shaky smile and pushed on. “What brought this on, anyway?” 

Valentina blinked back her tears as she took Juliana’s cue. Her lips twitched nervously as she took another moment to simply gaze at Juliana before speaking.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think. I was there too, remember. I was just as scared and helpless as you were.”

Although the two women had spoken about their experiences whilst held captive, Juliana felt like an idiot for not taking her involvement into consideration with her previous remarks. All she had meant was that she was thankful Valentina hadn’t grown up like she had, that she would do anything to shelter Valentina from ever feeling abandoned and redundant, but her dislike for Chino and any memory that goes with him makes her blind, makes her selfish. 

She opened her mouth to apologize, but a slight shake of Valentina’s head was enough to silence the words that were about to tumble out. A wave of adoration for Valentina crashed into her as she found the hint of forgiveness; the glint of compassion was evident in the twitch of her smile, right there in the corner of her eyes. Juliana felt her body weaken with the fresh surge of overwhelming love and admiration run through her veins, all due to the way the girl above her looks at her. 

Valentina stroked her index finger along Juliana’s eyebrow as she continued.

“Since finding out your father was linked with these men, and seeing first hand what those men were like, it got me thinking about you, and the kind of person you have become…”

Valentina’s brows creased slightly as she trailed off. 

“Juls, you don’t have to tell me what it was like for you growing up. You don’t want to recall those memories and I can’t blame you. But when you were asleep, in the hospital, Lupe and I talked. There wasn’t a whole lot else to do, and it was a nice distraction from tearing myself up over whether you were going to wake up ever again. So she told me a little about your childhood.” 

Juliana swallowed, a little taken aback. She had no idea Lupe had disclosed any information to Valentina about what it was like for them back in Texas. So Valentina knew, but she was still here, touching her softly. It took a moment, but Juliana could identify the look in her eye. 

“Don’t pity me, please, Val. That’s not -. I don’t need that. It’s done now.”

“No, Juls. That’s not what I’m getting at. I don’t pity you, amor. I’m in awe of you.”

“What do you mean?”

Valentina took in a deep breath, her eyes full of wonder as she smiled lazily at her.

“Juls, you could have let the fact that your father never acknowledged you, that your father was a dangerous person, involved in terrible things, mold you into this spiteful, resentful, angry human being. But instead, you’ve used those things to motivate you to be better. You’ve seen how horrible human kind can be, and yet you are this beautiful, pure, loving person. This person who would sacrifice their own life for another without a second thought. You work hard for a decent wage, and you look after the people around you. I’m completely amazed at how you have so graciously dealt with adversity and still turned into this amazing, humble soul.”

Juliana wrinkled her nose as she looked up at Valentina. She made a light scoffing sound as she looked away, unable to continue to look into eyes so full of devotion it almost ached. But a gentle finger tilted her chin, encouraging her to stay. 

The girl was leaning back on one arm, the palm of her hand flat on the red blanket as it took her weight. Her head was titled to the side as she gazed down at Juliana, her fingers still trailing along her hairline, occasionally twirling loose strands of dark hair around her fingers. 

“I mean it.” Valentina spoke quietly, her pink lips offering a shy smile. 

Juliana chewed the inside of her lip as she considered Valentina’s proclamation. She’d never really thought about herself, or her life, like that before. Sure, she’d figured out pretty early on that the hand she’d been dealt wasn’t quite like everyone else’s, but she never thought to use that disadvantage as a way to hate the world. Her upbringing had its setbacks, and it had hardened her in some ways, but the only thing she’d ever wanted in life was to follow her passions and earn some money to live a decent life. The blue-eyed girl holding onto her now just happened to be a bonus. 

Valentina wrinkled her nose back affectionately as she sensed Juliana’s unease about how to respond. She licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak once more. 

“Are you worried about him coming back?”

Juliana’s brows furrowed immediately as the thought of seeing Chino again made her palms sweat. 

“I mean, I know we tried to stop it, but there was a fair amount of media coverage about the kidnapping. If he is out there, surely he would have read about you. And the court case is coming up for those two who survived. I just wasn’t sure…” 

Valentina’s neck retreated into her shoulders as her voice trailed off. 

Juliana lifted her arm to catch a lock of chestnut hair between her fingers. It was soft as she twirled it gently before it slipped between her fingers, blonde strands at the mercy of the breeze. She puffed out her cheeks before looking back up into piercing blue. 

“I don’t think anything could make Chino want to be part of our lives again. Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s happier without us. And that’s fine by me.”

Valentina whispered a gentle “okay”, relieved to finally hear Juliana speak. 

“As for those two morons who kidnapped us, I have no interest in knowing what happens to them. I just want to forget about it and move on.”

Valentina hummed in agreement, her fingertips teasing at Juliana’s lips, tracing the outline of her nose and chin with a careful softness that would be maddening if it weren’t so enchantingly Valentina. 

And just like that, the air shifted between them. The intensity of their conversation disappeared as quickly as the click of a finger, the conversation over, and Juliana felt her skin shiver with the touch. 

Valentina was always so tender, so pure of heart, that Juliana had to focus on her breathing to calm herself down. She clamped her eyes closed to distract herself from the urge to pull herself up onto Valentina. Had to grind her teeth to keep from showing Valentina how much she truly appreciated her in the middle of this beautifully sunny park. 

In the silence, her mind drifted back, a smirk forming on her face. 

“What?” Valentina asked playfully, her laughter light. 

Juliana had obviously been caught, her face giving her away. She opened her eyes once more, her head tilting on Valentina’s thigh to find the most beautiful face she had ever seen smiling affectionately down at her. 

“How long has Claudia been driving you around for?” 

Juliana bit the insides of her cheeks in an attempt to look serious, to refrain from allowing the smirk to continue to give her away. 

A perfectly curved brow shot up at the question, white teeth flashing at her beyond perfectly plump lips. 

“Just over a week, I think.” Valentina retorted cheerfully, catching on quickly. 

“Hmmmm.” Juliana purred teasingly. “You seem to have a thing for dark haired, female drivers. Should I be worried?”

Valentina tipped her head back, her long neck on show as she cackled at Juliana’s remark. A gold necklace glinted in the sunlight, dangling perfectly against an exposed bronze chest. The swell of Valentina’s breasts was just noticeable above the low-cut white top she wore so well, as if it were made just for her. Juliana was mesmerized with how stunning Valentina looked in the golden afternoon light, glowing like she held the sun within her. Juliana found herself spellbound at the sounds of amusement spilling from Valentina’s mouth. She couldn’t help but smile stupidly at Valentina’s reaction, happy with the change of pace. 

Valentina’s eyes were bright when she looked back down, her face full of mirth. 

“Lucky she knows I’m already taken.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yep. I already told her, _can’t touch this, I’ve already got a girlfriend._ ” 

The hand that was resting in Juliana’s hair gestured to her body as Valentina spoke, her head wobbling on her shoulders in a display of playful seriousness. The attitude in which it was said, coupled with the sight of Valentina clicking at herself, caused an amused snort to escape Juliana’s nose. The unexpected noise sent both girls into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Juliana bent at the waist, lifting herself from her perch on Valentina’s thigh, doubling over as she tried to control the laughter wracking her body. Valentina’s hand rested carefully on her back as she held her stomach with her other arm, tears falling from her eyes. 

Juliana twisted so she was facing Valentina, mirroring the other girls sitting position beside her. Her legs were outstretched behind Valentina as she leaned across, her good arm propping herself up as she scooted closer to the girl of her dreams. Their torsos were almost side-by-side, and Juliana felt intoxicated by Valentina’s natural scent emanating from her skin.

She raised her injured arm slowly as their laughter slowly subsided. Juliana gently captured the tears that had escaped Valentina’s perfect eyes, her thumb grazing along her cheeks. Valentina leant her weight on one arm, the palm on her other hand running slowly up along Juliana’s good arm that was leaning over her. 

Juliana’s breath hitched in her throat at the intimate motion, her eyes darting along Valentina’s features. From her defined collarbones and dip at the base of where they meet. Up along her neck, lingering briefly on the slight flutter of skin where Valentina’s pulse beat strongly beneath it. Her eyes raked along the definition of her jawline, swept across her lips that were slightly parted, her warm breath hitting Juliana’s face as she moved slowly closer. Juliana’s hand shifted, her fingers scraping through the hair behind Valentina’s ear as her thumb continued to swirl soft circles just below her ear. She held her there firmly as her eyes traced the outline of Valentina’s flawless little nose, along the ridge and around her perfectly shaped eyebrows. She was mapping her out, memorizing every little detail as if it was a roadmap to her dreams. 

When she connected with ocean blue, calm and tranquil as they watched unblinking back at her, Juliana knew this was all she ever wanted. This woman was all she ever needed. 

“Girlfriend?”

Valentina released a huff of air, her tongue following along behind, wetting her lips. 

“There’s nothing like a traumatic event to blow everything wide open, hey?”

“You want to make it official?” Juliana asked breathlessly, her eyes struggling to focus on just one thing. 

“I’ve never wanted something so much my entire life, Juls.”

“Well, are you going to ask me properly?” 

The fingers that were gently rubbing up and down the length of Juliana’s arm suddenly changed their pattern. Valentina pushed into Juliana’s skin with gentle force, her fingertips soft as they made their way up Juliana’s arm before wrapping gently around Juliana’s shoulder. The motion caused Juliana to fall further forward, her forehead resting delicately against Valentina’s. 

Valentina breathed in deeply as Juliana’s eyelids fluttered. She hoped she never got used to this feeling that overtook every other sense whenever Valentina is this close. It’s like the world melts away and all that matters is the warmth buzzing between them, constant and inevitable like the sun rising each morning.

“Well, Juliana Valdes, I can’t imagine walking beside anyone else. You are all I want, and all I need. I’m not afraid anymore. If anything, you have shown me that together, we can beat everything that comes our way. I want to do this so bad.” Valentina nudged her nose against Juliana’s intimately. “I guess what I need to know is, will you be my girlfriend?”

Juliana felt the rush of pleasant adrenaline pump through her bloodstream at the question. Her hand in Valentina’s hair tilted her head slightly, bringing their lips together. But Juliana refrained from pressing them together in a kiss just yet. She breathed in as she brushed their lips together just barely, their twin smiles obvious.

“Of course, Val. Always.” Juliana whispered against Valentina lips before pressing into her firmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got a second to finish this off (and by 'a second', I mean way more than that because writing is HARD and takes so much TIME)!  
> Outline for the final chap is done so fingers crossed I get it done a little quicker than this one. I got suuuuper stuck on this half-way through (i'm not great with the whole dialogue thing and because i'm an Aussie, I find myself using a lot of slang I have to change... doh) and it just tormented me for a week until I forced myself to get on with it. I'm not sure I love it, and if it sat here for any longer i'd probably change it, so before I get to that point where I hate it, I have to post it. Ya feel?  
> Hopefully it all makes sense and isn't too shit? Haha. Enjoy!


	22. Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 18 months later...

**18 months later**

_Bing_

Juliana looked up with a smile as the silver doors slid open in front of her. She stepped confidently out of the elevator and onto the bustling fifth floor of the building. 

Her converse shoes barely made a sound on the speckled polished concrete beneath her feet. She flicked her hair behind her shoulders and sucked in a breath. Her eyes roamed around the brightly lit space, taking it all in. The sounds of phones ringing, keyboards clacking and people chatting were indicative of a busy workspace. 

It had taken some time, but Juliana finally associated her memories of this building with happy ones. The pain and trauma of her time with Alacran and his men as they brought her here under the guise of finding El Chino were dealt with, albeit with some long hours of therapy and the support of Valentina by her side. 

Once Valentina graduated and graciously agreed to take on the dreams of her father, there were many conversations about relocating the offices. In typical Valentina style, she wanted to avoid any surfacing anxieties for Juliana. She fought to sell the building and open up her branch of the Carvajal Media empire to another space, an office not so fraught with such distressing memories. But Juliana, already foreseeing her girlfriends actions, worked behind the scenes with Guille and Leon to move forward with the renovations, even helping to design the space. Her part in the design process, watching the building come to life under her watchful eye, was somewhat of a healing process. All thoughts of Alacran began to fade into the background as she watched the space transform into something she hoped Valentina loved. 

The look on Valentina’s face at the grand opening was a memory Juliana wouldn’t likely forget for the rest of her life. 

She raised her eyebrows in greeting at Kass, the blonde receptionist sitting behind the large marble desk opposite the elevators, the gold Carvajal name shining in cursive against the white stone. 

Juliana pointed to the right and continued on her way once Kass waved her through with a smile. She nodded in greeting to various employees, waving and saying hello to the now familiar faces working at their desks as she made her way to the far corner of the office. 

“Hey, Alicia.” 

The brunette lifted her head from her computer when she heard Juliana speak, removing her headset and replying with a kind smile. 

“Juliana, hi. How are you?”

“I’m great, thanks. It’s a beautiful day out.” 

Alicia swiveled around in her desk chair to look out the window behind her. Blue sky stretched out beyond the buildings surrounding them, the sun shining high above. There was something about a cloudless day that made Juliana feel like floating. Or perhaps it was the relaxing weekend ahead that made her feel giddy, her smile a permanent fixture on her face since she woke up that morning. 

“Is Valentina around?”

Just as she finished the question, she was almost knocked off her feet. Long arms wrapped around her from the side, holding her close, a warm body hugging tightly against her. A soft kiss was smacked on her cheek. A light, amused giggle sounded in her ear. 

“Jesus, Val. You scared me.” 

Juliana turned in the embrace, resting her hands on Valentina’s waist as slender arms encircled her shoulders. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

Vivid blue eyes shone at her beyond dark eyelashes, her smirk sending Juliana’s heart into overdrive. Her wavy hair was parted in the middle, long tresses hanging freely around her shoulders. Juliana breathed her in, the familiar natural scent of the taller woman making Juliana’s knees weak.

“Are you okay?” Valentina asked with a sexy arch of her eyebrow. 

“I will be once you kiss me.” 

Valentina’s playful smirk morphed into a wide grin, a perfect row of teeth on full display. 

“With pleasure.” Valentina whispered before leaning forward.

Juliana’s fingers flexed at Valentina’s hips with the contact, holding onto her as she lost herself in the sensation of Valentina’s lips against her own. 

She could do this forever, move her lips against Valentina’s until the end of time, and she was sure she would never tire of it. But they were in Valentina’s workplace, and there was always a time and place. After a cheeky swipe of her tongue, she reluctantly ripped herself away from her favorite place on earth.

“Are you ready to go?” 

Valentina’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, clearly affected. Juliana licked her lips seductively as blue eyes flicked over her face. Valentina released a long breath before turning to Alicia. 

“That last meeting was it for the day, right?” 

“That’s right, miss. Your 1pm has been rescheduled to next week.” Alicia replied, her eyes bouncing between them with an impish smile.

“Perfect.”

Valentina’s arms dropped from around Juliana’s shoulders as she stepped away, her hand sliding down her arm and curling around Juliana’s fingers as she took a step towards her office. 

“And stop watching us kiss!” Valentina lightheartedly threw back over her shoulder as she entered her large corner office. 

Alicia’s light snicker followed them into the room.

Juliana was long past being embarrassed by public displays of affection. She was too wrapped up in Valentina, too confident in their love for one another, to care what other people thought. 

“I’ll just grab my stuff.” Valentina said as she dropped Juliana’s hand and practically skipped behind her large oak desk, picking up scattered items and throwing them in her brown leather shoulder bag. 

Juliana flopped on the velour aqua couch and propped her legs up on the wooden coffee table. She watched Valentina’s eyes flit about on the monitor of her dual-screen computer, her finger clicking on the mouse as she presumably closed down applications. 

Juliana’s lips twitched into a mischievous smile as memories of the boundless times she laid Valentina down on that very desk and eaten her out amidst the pens and paperwork rushed to the forefront of her mind. Her palms brushed sensitively against the fur of the couch, the feeling of Valentina’s deft fingers entering her while lying down on the soft material causing her mouth to dry up. 

“Juls?” Valentina was suddenly standing in front of her, the brown leather strap of her bag slung over her shoulder. Her sunglasses were pushed up into her hair, one hand stretched out in offering for Juliana to take. 

Juliana blinked at her dumbly, swallowing thickly as she returned to the present. 

“What are you thinking about, amor?” 

The twist of Valentina’s lips and cheeky glint in her eye told Juliana she knew exactly what was running through her mind. 

Juliana reached up and took Valentina’s hand, pulling herself into a standing position beside her. 

“You ready?” She asked, dismissing the playful quirk of Valentina’s brow.

Valentina let out a light, cheerful laugh and nodded her head. 

“I’m very ready. Let’s go.”

“Have a nice long weekend!” Alicia called as the two women walked, their clasped hands swinging between them, back to the elevator. 

~

Juliana wound her window down as the driver took his foot off the accelerator, gliding to a slower speed as they approached the quaint beach side town. She breathed in deeply, the smell of salt lingering in the air causing her eyes to flutter shut. The atmosphere was thick with warmth, heavy but not overwhelming. The wind lightly ruffled through her hair, soft like a whisper. She welcomed the feel of it as it kissed her skin. Her head fell back against the headrest as she lost herself in the sense of calm settling on her skin, shining through her like dew in the early morning sun. 

“I love that smile.”

Juliana opened her eyes and turned her neck, noticing the relaxed expression on Valentina’s face. The soft afternoon light bounced dreamily off her skin, lighting up the blue of her eyes. 

Valentina had fallen asleep on Juliana’s shoulder on the flight, her tall frame almost collapsing in a heap as soon as the plane reached altitude. They’d barely spoken a word since the plane landed and Juliana had to almost shake the other girl awake. Valentina’s ability to sleep like the dead was something Juliana had forever been envious of. She held onto Valentina’s hand tightly as she directed them through the crowded arrivals terminal and into the waiting car. It always took a while for the dazed look to leave Valentina’s eyes after she’d woken, and Juliana loved how endearing the other woman was as she drifted clumsily between sleep and consciousness. But it seemed like the blue-eyed girl had finally come back to the present.

“What smile?” Juliana asked, the question only causing her cheeks to rise even further. 

“Every time we arrive here, you get this stupidly adorable smile on your face.”

Juliana clicked her tongue and shrugged her shoulders. She was somewhat surprised at Valentina’s observation. 

“Well, maybe I just really like it here.”

“Mmmm? What about it do you like?” Valentina asked quietly as she shuffled closer. 

Juliana ran her hand through her hair as she contemplated her answer. There were a lot of things she liked about being here, none of which she thought she could articulate properly. But Valentina was looking at her expectantly, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, her eyes narrowed slightly as though she was trying to read her mind. 

She smiled, words forming easily when Valentina looked at her like that, like she knew the secrets of the universe. 

“I like how relaxed you are when we get here. You’re so flat out with this job, I can almost physically see the tension leave your body when we’re here.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. But it’s also the first place you whisked me away to when we finally got the chance to be together. That feeling, of finally being able to be with you, just us, all alone, will never leave me.”

Valentina lifted her chin slightly, her hand rising to tuck loose strands of hair behind Juliana’s ear. Her fingers slid down Juliana’s neck, along her collarbone and down the length of her arm. The gentle pressure made Juliana’s skin tingle, a wave of goose bumps forming in their wake.

“I know the feeling.” Valentina breathed, her eyes following the path of her fingers along Juliana’s skin. 

Juliana swallowed as she spotted the tip of Valentina’s tongue poke the sharp edge of a front tooth. 

“You were so thoughtful, bringing me here knowing I’d never been to the ocean before. You listened, way back on the hood of that car, when I said a trip to the beach would be my dream holiday. And I know how much this spot means to you. So I guess this place is also pretty special for me too. All wrapped up in you, and how much I love you.”

Valentina’s other hand snaked its way into Juliana’s hair, cupping the back of her neck. 

“Really?” 

Juliana nodded her head slightly, a small hum resonating from the back of her throat. 

“This place reminds me of the smell of salt water that sticks to your skin when we’re done swimming. The rough feel of it beneath my tongue when I lick it off your neck.” Juliana leant in as she spoke, her nose brushing the sensitive skin of Valentina’s neck, her pulse thrumming as Juliana breathed in. 

“It reminds me of how you hold the warmth of the day within you; the way the sun browns your skin just slightly.” Juliana’s nose traced the other girls’ jawline. She smiled as Valentina’s breath hitched, her neck tilting to give Juliana more room.

“What else?” Valentina’s voice was low, distant as if she wasn’t quite on this earth.

“It reminds me of how utterly gorgeous you look with your hair all wet, dripping down your back. The thought of you with only a bikini on, your flawless skin on display for me as we lay on the beach.” 

Juliana pulled back as she reached Valentina’s chin. She watched closely as Valentina licked her lips, her eyes hooded and staring at Juliana’s mouth. 

“But most of all, I like that we have a house all to ourselves, and we don’t have to wear any clothes at all.”

Valentina’s fingers contracted in Juliana’s hair, pulling tight. A light hiss escaped Juliana’s lips at the action, a familiar clench in her stomach forming in response. Valentina’s jaw slackened, her lips parting, her eyelashes fluttering as she moved in. 

The abrupt halt of the car snapped both women back to reality. Valentina’s grip in her hair slipped as Juliana turned her head, catching the eye of the driver in the rear-vision mirror. 

“We’re here.” He stated quietly before opening the door and disappearing from view. 

Juliana turned back to Valentina, a sly grin on her lips as she shook her head.

“Looks like we’ll have to continue this conversation after dinner. I’ve made a reservation at that Italian place we like in town.”

“Have you now?” Valentina asked suggestively, her index finger wiping leisurely at her bottom lip. 

“You are just full of questions today.” Juliana said with a light giggle. She smacked Valentina’s thigh playfully as she unbuckled her seat belt and opened her car door. “Come on, let’s go inside.” 

Juliana waited for Valentina to join her before clasping their hands together, following the driver as he carried their shared weekend luggage and some grocery bags up the staircase to the front door. 

“I’ll have the car ready for 7pm, Miss Juliana.”

“Thank you, Lucas.” Juliana smiled as she stepped past the man and into the large foyer. 

“And you can leave those just there. We’ll deal with them later.” Juliana said as she pointed to the small pile of bags Lucas just placed inside the door. 

“Yes, miss.” Lucas nodded his head and turned, closing the door soundlessly behind him. 

Juliana smiled at Valentina as she tugged at their still joined hands. 

“I need a drink.” 

Valentina didn’t respond. She just followed Juliana’s steps, willingly dragging her feet behind her. 

Juliana directed them through the house, her eyes carefully sweeping over the photographs lining the walls. 

Endless images of three young Carvajal siblings, a youthful Leon and a woman with shining blue eyes looked back at her. The family standing on deck of a white yacht, hair windswept, torsos clad with lifejackets. Guille on top of Leon’s shoulders, smiles wide and innocent. Young Eva and tiny Valentina building sandcastles, their faces smudged with wet sand. But Juliana’s favorite of all was the final image hanging grandly on the wall before they reached the kitchen. 

Valentina was holding hands with her mother, a pink swimsuit clinging to her small frame, her hand held tightly in her mothers grasp. The older woman stood tall, a glorious smile on her face, her sunglasses sitting perfectly against her nose. Her chestnut blonde hair was tucked behind her ears as she gazed down at her youngest daughter. And her breathtaking smile was reflected back at her, Valentina’s face cheerful as she gazed lovingly up at her mother, a spade clutched in her other hand. 

Juliana had been blown away when she first stepped foot in the large holiday home over a year ago. Valentina had been nervous on the plane trip over, her hands fidgeting anxiously in her lap as they neared the property. With things still fairly new, Juliana was unsure of what to do. So she sat silently, her hand firm on Valentina’s bouncing knee, hoping her quiet reassurance was enough. 

It wasn’t until Valentina took Juliana’s hand, sweaty and trembling, and guided Juliana through the home that she was made fully aware of the reasons for Valentina’s unease. 

Juliana’s heart was in her throat as they walked through the home, remnants of a life once lived hanging on the walls, decorating the sideboards, evident in the slightly outdated furniture. Finally, Juliana had stopped Valentina in front of the large photo of her and her mother, and watched as unshed tears threatened to spill over. Valentina’s eyes were wide as she let herself take a moment to look over the image, a shaky breath forced out between slightly parted lips. 

“Val.” Juliana spoke quietly, splitting open the nervous tension. 

Valentina didn’t have to say it for Juliana to understand that this was monumental.

“This is the first time I’ve been back here since she died.”

Juliana felt her heart break a little for the woman before her. She stood quietly by her side, the feeling of Valentina’s hand in hers the only thing grounding her to the present. She let Valentina have the moment to herself, waiting patiently until Valentina turned to look at her, blue eyes aching, before she spoke again. 

“You look a lot like her, Val. She’s beautiful.”

A weak smile tugged at Valentina’s lips, her chin trembling, a stray tear finally slipping down her cheek. 

Juliana wrapped her arms around Valentina in one swift motion, her arms strong around Valentina’s back, holding her close. She hoped the embrace could convey just how sorry she was, and just how loved she still is. As Valentina buried her head in Juliana’s neck, she finally let go. She cried tears of love for her mother, of the memories that home held, of grief and loss. 

Gradually, the sobs subsided, and Valentina pulled away, wiping at her face with the back of her hand, almost as if in embarrassment. Juliana brushed the harsh movements aside, Valentina’s arms falling limply by her side in defeat. Juliana placed her own hands on either side of Valentina’s cheeks, placing gentle kisses against slippery skin.

“We don’t have to stay.” She whispered against her chin.

Valentina shook her head, her pout shifting into a shy smile. Juliana nudged her nose against Valentina’s as she pulled back.

“I want to make new memories here. With you.”

Juliana’s expression began to mirror Valentina’s, their faces both lighting up at the statement. 

“Well then, let’s get started.”

Juliana kissed the back of Valentina’s hand as the vivid memory of their first time in the holiday house faded into the background. They had come a long way since then, keeping true to their promise of making new, even happier memories there.

She dropped the hand in hers as she reached for the refrigerator. Her fingers curled around a cool water bottle, her mouth watering in anticipation of the liquid quenching her thirst. Flying always made her dehydrated. 

The hiss of the bottle opening clashed with the fridge door closing.

Juliana turned as she placed the lip of the bottle up to her mouth, gulping down long swigs of water as though she’d been stranded on a desert island for a week. Her eyes swept across the view before her as she drank. Beyond the kitchen counter stood floor to ceiling windows, the expanse of glass running along the entire length of the room. Juliana would generally dislike this much exposure, wary of onlookers gazing into the home and ruining their privacy. But the only thing beyond the windows and expansive deck was a long stretch of golden sand intersecting with clear blue ocean.

The afternoon sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, setting the sky awash with luminous pinks and oranges. It was so beautiful she wished she’d had an easel and a set of paints with her, her fingers twitching at the thought. But she doubted any painted canvas could wholly capture the original beauty of the show nature was putting on. The afternoon breeze was beginning to pick up, evident in the flapping of the umbrella perched above the outdoor table sitting just beyond the large bi-fold doors. There were only a few figures down along the shoreline, their shoes in hand as they strolled lazily along the waters edge. 

One reason why Juliana liked this getaway so much was the location. It was far enough away from the nearest town center to maintain their privacy, but close enough that they could access the restaurants and bars of the seaside town in a quick fifteen-minute drive. Locals were the only real beach-goers in this area, with sprawling properties dotting the coastline, all with private beachfront access. This Carvajal residence was one of many holiday homes the family owned, but Valentina and Juliana had frequented it enough now that most considered it theirs. 

Since their first time here, the two women had updated the décor, adding modern touches here and there. They also had their own clothes permanently kept in the walk-in-robe of the main room, Valentina even going to the extent of adding photos of the two of them together around the home. This place was a slice of heaven for Juliana, a place where they transected in the most seamless way. 

That thought alone made this weekend even more exciting. 

Juliana finally dropped the bottle to the counter, her tongue collecting the stray water droplets on her lips. She turned to offer the bottle to Valentina, but the words died quickly on her tongue. 

Valentina stood where Juliana left her, her teeth biting into her lower lip. Valentina’s black work pants were now in a pile by her feet, and Juliana wondered how on earth she hadn’t noticed her undressing only a few feet beside her. Juliana’s eyes almost popped out of her head as they stared, slowly taking in the other woman’s long, slim legs. 

“Babe.” Juliana mumbled, her voice thick as her brain tried to catch up with what was happening here. 

“I love it when you call me that.” 

Juliana’s eyes abandoned their staring contest with Valentina’s legs and flicked up to meet Valentina’s. The sparkling blue paired with _that_ wicked smile made Juliana’s stomach drop. She’d seen that look too many times now to mistake it. She almost tipped over the water bottle that was still clenched tightly in her grip as she stepped forward. She was halted by a tilt of Valentina’s head, leaning her weight on the balls of her feet as she stopped in her tracks. 

“I love this top you made me, Juls. But you did say one of the perks of being here was that we didn’t have to wear any clothes.”

As Valentina spoke, her skillful fingers began to tug at the buttons that ran up the front of her shirt. 

“Uh huh. I did say that.” 

Juliana replied sluggishly, her brain short-circuiting as more skin was exposed at each pop of a button. Her eyes watched, fascinated, as the shirt Juliana made her as a gift for starting her new work adventure inched slowly off her shoulders and joined the other item of clothing in a heap on the kitchen floor. 

Juliana wasn’t sure how it happened, but now Valentina was standing in front of her in nothing but a matching black underwear set. It was simple, no fancy lace or embellishments like the sets that Juliana knew Valentina owned, but it did nothing to stop the stuttering of her heart in her chest. 

The underwear sat perfectly on her hips, dipping just right beneath her navel. The bra was low cut, accentuating the swell of Valentina’s small breasts.

“God, you’re so beautiful.” Juliana whispered, her hand hovering between them, desperate to touch. 

“You shouldn’t tease me like that in the car. You got me all hot and bothered.”

“Did I?” 

Juliana could barely form the words, her brain too busy with ogling the beautiful figure standing almost naked in front of her. As much as she loved the view of the ocean, there was nothing that could beat the scene in front of her now. 

Valentina’s hand reached out and met Juliana’s, guiding it to her chest, achingly close to her full breast. 

“Do you feel that?”

Juliana finally looked up, right into Valentina’s eyes, and focused. She could hear the wind whipping about outside, the faint crash of the ocean, the rumble of the refrigerator, her own breath loud in her ears. But she could also feel the steady thumping of a heartbeat beneath her hand under the warm skin of Valentina’s chest. It was faster than resting, and a smile so wide it crinkled her eyes spread across her face. 

“You still do this to me, mi amor.”

“I do.” Juliana muttered, her face inching closer to Valentina’s.

A quirk of her brow and Juliana almost fell over with need. The need to have Valentina pressed against her, under her, over here, however she could have her overtook any other thought. 

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

An insatiable hunger filled Juliana as she finally closed the distance between them, her hands gripping the flesh of Valentina’s hips firmly. 

Valentina kissed her back just as eagerly, tongues and teeth clashing as they pressed into one another. The familiar rush of excitement coated Juliana’s panties, every atom in her body singing as she thrust into Valentina. She was so sensitive the friction of the rough denim of her jeans as she moved against her was enough to get her panting. She was so full of lust, the moment so full of urgency that before she knew it, her hands were squeezing Valentina’s plump backside before curving under her cheeks and lifting her. 

Valentina squeaked at the sudden motion, but continued to kiss her with fervor as she was lifted off her feet. Her tongue dipped deeply into Juliana’s mouth, whimpering with basic want. Juliana felt the sound zing through her blood stream and soak deep into her bones. 

God, she just couldn’t get enough. 

Juliana placed Valentina down on the cool kitchen counter, pressing her hand against her chest to keep their distance. Valentina looked just as dizzy as Juliana felt, eyes wide and lips parted. She stood between those impeccably long legs, her hand pushing at Valentina’s chest. Valentina was guided willing, her back landing with a light slap against the granite. 

Juliana’s hand pulled at the other womans bra, releasing a perky breast. She cupped it, giving it a gentle squeeze before her fingers flicked at the nipple. She was mesmerized at the sounds Valentina was making, watching as the nipple hardened under her attentions. 

“Juls, baby. Don’t tease me. I’m so wet for you. I don’t need the foreplay right now. Please, I need you.”

The strained way Valentina begged, the ragged voice etched with such obvious desire sent another shockwave of greedy hunger coursing through her veins. 

Juliana watched blue eyes widen as she picked up Valentina’s legs, one calf in each hand, and draped them over her shoulders. Her index finger then traced the midline of Valentina’s torso, circling her navel and down over the fabric of her black underwear. With a salivating mouth, she confidently swiped at the slit she knew was dripping beneath her, the material sliding at the motion. 

Valentina moaned, unrestrained, at the first touch of skilled fingers across her centre. 

“Yes, amor. Touch me there.”

“With my fingers, or my tongue?”

Valentina lifted her hips with the question, her own hands desperately pushing at her underwear. Juliana stepped back and pulled the offending item down the length of Valentina’s slender legs, disposing of them with the rest of the other woman’s clothes. 

She stepped forward once more, Valentina’s legs placing themselves back onto Juliana’s shoulders. She licked her lips in anticipation, her eyes locked on Valentina’s dripping centre, the familiar smell of arousal sending her wild. She wanted to touch, but she wanted to give Valentina what she wanted even more. 

Her eyes ripped themselves away and gazed longingly up at Valentina. 

“Tongue.” 

Valentina’s voice was surprisingly strong, considering how wrecked she looked. 

But Juliana wasn’t about to keep her waiting. Her hands gripped the backs of Valentina’s thighs, spreading her wider as she leant down and buried her mouth against Valentina’s centre. 

Valentina immediately curled one hand into Juliana’s hair, while the other clutched, white knuckled, around the edge of the countertop. 

Juliana’s tongue extended out, running up and down the length of the woman laid out before her. She closed her eyes, concentrating on drinking all of Valentina until there was nothing left. By now, Juliana knew exactly what Valentina liked. Her tongue and lips licked and sucked, adjusting pressure while moving from her entrance to her clit. She was building her up in the most delicious way she knew how, her brain swimming with ecstasy at the feel and taste of Valentina on her tongue. 

In what felt like no time at all, her mouth and chin were saturated in the best way. She dragged her tongue between her folds and back to Valentina’s entrance, her tongue swirling around the opening before pushing in. Her arm wrapped around a smooth leg, her palm resting just below Valentina’s quivering stomach. Her thumb slipped into the copious wetness, the pad swirling expertly around Valentina’s clit. 

“Yes, amor. Like that.” Valentina gasped, clearly grateful for the extra pressure. 

Juliana hummed into Valentina, her eyes opening to find two dazed eyes watching her. The hand that was clenching at the bench was now squeezing at her own breast, her lips parted as she panted. 

God, she was beautiful. 

“Fuck, you’re so good at this.” 

Juliana’s thumb pressed gently down onto Valentina’s clit in response to the compliment, and she watched with satisfaction as Valentina’s neck stretched, a loud moan echoing around the kitchen. 

“Don’t stop.” Valentina husked out. 

Juliana had learned over time that when Valentina said that, all breathless and weak, that it didn’t mean go faster or change things up. She used to get so excited at the prospect of doing it right, that her brain would malfunction and she’d lose her rhythm. But one of the most important things they had learned quickly was to be open and honest about what they liked during sex, and what they wanted. After all, the ultimate goal was to make each other feel good. So together, they learned that what Valentina wanted in that moment was for Juliana to continue doing exactly what she was doing. 

She closed her eyes and focused intently on getting Valentina to reach orgasm. Her tongue continued to enter her, while her thumb gently strummed against her clit with precision. 

It didn’t take long for Valentina’s legs to wrap firmly around Juliana’s head, her high pitched whines and shaking body the only indication Juliana needed that Valentina had finally crashed over the edge. She didn’t stop with her ministrations until all the tension disappeared from Valentina’s body, her limbs collapsing onto the cool granite benchtop. 

Juliana pressed delicate kisses along the insides of Valentina’s thighs, her tongue gloriously coated with the most delicious nectar she ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The only one she wanted or needed. 

She stood finally, her knees weak, between Valentina’s legs. She wiped at her mouth and smiled, satisfied with the afterglow shimmering across Valentina’s skin. 

Juliana’s fingertips busied themselves with tracing the expance of Valentina’s flawless skin as she recovered. Eventually, Valentina used her hands to push herself up, her heels pulling Juliana even closer as she sat against her. 

“Come on. Let’s have a shower.” She said with a wink, her eyes still dilated and skin flushed.

Juliana apologized profusely to Lucas as they arrived to the car late that night, a little dazed and slightly disheveled. Valentina did nothing but smirk, her thoughts clearly still stuck in the kitchen, and then the shower. And usually Juliana would tell Valentina to pull it together, but the other woman was absolutely glowing. She could do nothing but ignore the swelling of her heart and pull her close. 

~

Juliana slicked back her hair as she surfaced, ocean water cascading like a waterfall from her shoulders. Her feet pushed at the soft sand between her toes as she walked, lifting her knees high to work against the pressure of the water surrounding her. She shoved her pinky finger in her ear as she finally reached the shoreline, leaving the cool ocean behind her. Her finger wiggled around in her ear, the squelching of water loud before a distinct popping sound caused Juliana to sigh in relief.

She looked up and continued her way up the beach, the dry sand now warm beneath her feet. The colorful beach umbrella a beacon among the seldom busy stretch of sand, and Juliana made a beeline for it. 

Valentina was stretched out along her beach towel, laying on her back with her book outstretched above her. She made no motion as Juliana approached, too engrossed in the words written on the crisp pages. Juliana took a quick moment to stand over Valentina, wringing her dripping hair over the other girls legs.

“Juls, what the hell?” She squealed, her book slipping from her grip and landing on her chest. 

Juliana leant down and pressed a quick kiss against Valentina’s lips before nuzzling into her neck. The other girl’s skin was heated, a stark contrast to the cool of her own skin. It felt

“Juls, you’re wet!” She half-heartedly complained, pushing feebly against Juliana’s shoulders. 

Valentina wriggled beneath the attentions, her laugh loud and carefree. It was Juliana’s favorite sound in the world, and she felt it vibrate through every molecule of her body. 

Once Valentina’s giggles subsided, Juliana flopped down on the free towel beside the blue-eyed girl, her tongue poking through a naughty grin. 

“I just wanted your attention.” Juliana stated simply, deciding to tell the truth rather than making witty innuendo about how she is always wet for her. 

Valentina rolled her eyes endearingly as she closed her book, discarding it to the side. 

“Well, you’ve got it now. How was your swim?” 

Valentina propped herself up on one elbow, her free hand adjusting the white bucket hat that sat askew on her head. The large umbrella covered their bodies in shade, and Juliana was grateful to escape from the direct sunlight.

“Awesome. It was so nice and refreshing. You should have come in.”

“Mmmm, I will a bit later.”

Juliana smiled skeptically at Valentina. She’d hold her to it, even if she had to drag her in by her feet. It wasn’t that Valentina didn’t like swimming. In fact, it was the complete opposite; she loved it. But she could turn into a bit of a chicken when it came to the water temperature. 

“What are you reading?”

Juliana flipped onto her stomach and crossed her arms, her head resting against the backs of her hands. She blew lightly on the water droplets that were still remaining on the skin of her forearm, watching as they wobbled before sliding down her arm and disappearing from view. 

“Don’t be mad, but it’s actually for work. I won’t bore you with the details.”

“Val, come on. You promised you wouldn’t do any work this weekend.” Juliana whined, her head lifting as she raised her eyebrows in displeasure. 

“I know. But, it’s not really work. It’s just about a topic that could help with my work. You see?” 

Valentina reached out and drew her thumb along Juliana’s eyebrow, wiping away her concern. It seemed to do the trick, the tension leaving Juliana’s face as she settled back down into her original position. 

“How is work going, anyway?” Juliana huffed, her lips forming into a small pout. 

Even though they had an agreement they would never bring any work with them to the beach house, Juliana was always interested in Valentina’s job. 

Valentina reached for her drink, the tumbler half-submerged in the ice bucket at the head of their towels. She put the straw in her mouth, her cheeks sucking in as she pulled the cool liquid from the cup. She kept her eye contact with Juliana as she licked her lips, the condensation dripping onto the towel. 

“It’s going so great, Juls. I feel like I’m finally making some headway with a few of our contacts. I know we’re only roughly 6 months in, and I know I’ve been busy, but I finally feel like I’m getting it all together. And, I even managed to book this really exciting up-and-coming indie band for a cover shoot and interview next week. They make some seriously cool music and I think we’ll be the first publication to give them some publicity before they go big.”

The smile on Valentina’s face and the pure joy and excitement she emanated whenever she spoke about her work set Juliana’s soul alight. The slight bags under her eyes were the only sign of the late nights and long hours she was putting in at the office, the façade of confidence and expertise easily slipped on as she entered her workplace. But Juliana had been there through it with her, and it hadn’t been quite as easy as Valentina let everyone think. 

Juliana was the person she curled into after reading a scathing article about how a woman with no experience could possibly run a new venture, even with the Carvajal name. Words such as “entitled” and “arrogance” were the reasons for the angry tears that had run down her cheeks, the tears that Juliana had wiped away. Juliana was the one to wrap Valentina up in her blanket, kissing away the worry lines on her forehead after her first employee walked out. Juliana was the one Valentina ran to once the first edition of the magazine was published. Juliana had Valentina sign it, tucking it carefully away in a box underneath her bed. Valentina had giggled, claiming it would never be worth anything. Juliana took her hand, sat her down on the edge of the bed and swept her hair behind her shoulder. She looked her directly in the eye when she said that money had nothing to do with it, and that to her, that copy of the magazine was priceless. 

Juliana was there, every step of the way, and she was grateful that Valentina allowed her to walk with her through this exciting, albeit challenging, time of her life. 

Sometimes, when alone at night, wrapped up in thoughts of Valentina and unable to sleep, she reflected on what her life might be like if Valentina wasn’t in it. And it was almost an inconceivable thought, a life not worth living. She felt stronger, more alive when standing beside Valentina. 

Juliana looked lazily up at Valentina and smiled, her eyes soft. She leant up on her elbows and leaned in, pressing a delicate kiss against the other woman’s collarbone. She heard the faint hum of contentment buzz from the back of Valentina’s throat as she pulled away.

“I’m so proud of you, you know.”

Valentina scrunched her nose up adoringly at the meaningful comment, a faint tinge of red dusting her cheeks. And Juliana was weak for this woman laying beside her, enchanting and confident and sexy and bashful, all rolled into one perfect package. 

Valentina reached across, her fingertips gently outlining Juliana’s cheekbone, leading up over her ear. Juliana was grateful for the physical contact, her eyelashes fluttering briefly with the soft touch. Long fingers threaded through Juliana’s hair, her nails scratching her scalp as the thick, wet hair refused to cooperate. Instead, Valentina distracted herself with twirling the still dripping ends, her eyes diverting their gaze to focus on her new task.

“How’s school going?” Valentina asked with a practiced air of flippancy.

Juliana released a small chuckle, shifting to rest her head on the heel of her palm, her elbow sinking slightly in the towel. She sucked the air in through her teeth and narrowed her eyes teasingly at the woman beside her. But Valentina was avoiding her eye contact, stunning blues clearly pretending to be preoccupied with the tips of Juliana’s hair. 

Juliana knew exactly why Valentina was sheepish in her questioning. It was hard for Juliana to boast about her successes, reverting to her typical internalizing when it came to her achievements. It was a learned behaviour, a product of her childhood, and one she was working on breaking. Valentina had been patient, learning quickly that Juliana was quiet in her victories and never wanted to make a fuss. 

Not long after Juliana recovered from her injuries after the kidnapping, she was accepted on scholarship to the most prestigious fashion design school in the city. Juliana was hesitant about it at first, skeptical that the offer was due to strings Leon had pulled rather than on her own merit. But after a meeting with Rafaela regarding her admission and how all the board members had gushed over her portfolio, Juliana graciously accepted the offer and started right away. 

As was ingrained in her personality, Juliana buckled down and focused on her studies. She was spurred on by the appreciation of finally being able to submerse herself in her passion, her muse always in the forefront of her mind. Her natural creativity coupled with her strong work ethic shot Juliana to the top of each of her classes. Of course, she was proud of herself when she received her final grades from the first semester, but kept just how well she had progressed to herself, modest in her accomplishments. Her plan of flying through design school with no fuss came unraveling when Rafaela, a family friend of the Carvajals, happened to mention to Valentina just how talented she was. It was a move she should have expected, but didn’t quite prepare for. 

One poor reaction from Juliana after Valentina surprised her with a big family dinner and an expensive gift was enough for Valentina to tread carefully in future. It was a trait Juliana was working on and learning to adapt, not used to such outward displays of affection and encouragement. Valentina was so supportive, so caring and enthusiastic in nature, sometimes Juliana forgot just how extravagant she could be in demonstrating her love. 

She smiled adoringly at Valentina. She reached up, her thumb and index finger lightly pinching the other woman’s chin. She tugged gently, her expression soft when Valentina finally gave in and looked at her. 

“It’s going really well. My classes this semester are really interesting, and we’re doing some more practical stuff. We have a chance to work with some fourth year students in their showcase this year, so if I work hard enough, I might get selected. It’d be a really great opportunity to work on some skills.”

Valentina’s eyes shined at her as Juliana spoke, freely divulging the information she so desperately wanted to hear. 

Her lips curved up into a shy smile, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip.

“Well, I’m really glad to hear that, amor.”

Juliana held her grip on Valentina chin, tugging her down into a sweet kiss. Their lips moved together slowly, the faint taste of sunscreen and something distinctly like pineapple lingered on Juliana’s tongue. 

She pulled away slightly, their noses still touching. 

“Mmmm, you taste yummy.” Juliana whispered between them as she licked her lips. 

Valentina giggled as she leant in again, but was stopped abruptly by something firm between their lips. 

Juliana grinned around the straw, sucking the liquid from Valentina’s drink into her mouth. Sure enough, the sweet, fizzy drink tasted of pineapple and peach, the cool drink slowly quenching her thirst.

Valentina rolled her eyes playfully and spun onto her back. One arm rested lazily by her side, while the back of her other hand flopped against her forehead. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, her body relaxing further into the blue and white patterned beach towel. 

Juliana took the opportunity to rake her eyes across Valentina’s almost naked figure stretched out beside her. She wore a mismatched bikini set, the bottom a thread patterned pink, purple and blue, which dipped low on her hips. Her top was a plain white, the shape of the cup rounding her breasts beautifully. Her nipples were just visible beneath the fabric, and it took every inch of willpower for Juliana to not slip the material aside and wrap her lips around the pink bud. Her mouth watered at the thought.

She took one last sip of Valentina’s drink and reached up, submerging the tumbler into the slowly melting ice with a clink. She pushed her hair back behind her shoulders and sidled up along the length of Valentina, her leg draping over the other womans knee, her head resting heavily on her chest. 

She settled in as Valentina welcomed her into the embrace, her hands rubbing against Juliana’s bare skin. It was hypnotizing, the way Valentina’s warmth sunk into Juliana’s pores. It didn’t matter when or where, but Valentina’s purposeful touches were like a medicine to her, a drug she could never get enough of. Juliana was forever in awe of how her touch could evoke such a visceral reaction from her, every single time. 

Juliana closed her eyes and listened to the low thudding of Valentina’s heartbeat, sure and steady. She clenched her teeth gently, building the courage to finally put herself out there, to fully live the life she only ever dreamed of. But this, the woman beneath her, was better than any dream. 

“Alex told me last week that he’s going to ask Rafi to marry him.” Juliana breathed into Valentina’s skin.

“Really?”

“Yep. Said he doesn’t want to be with anyone else. He’s bought the ring and everything.”

Valentina made a quiet rumble of wonder from the back of her throat, but otherwise remained silent. Her palm continued to brush over the bare skin of Juliana’s back, the grains of sand stuck on her skin scratching lightly with the friction. 

Juliana wasn’t sure if she should be put off by the lack of reaction from Valentina. She busied her fingers with the strap of Valentina’s bikini, mindlessly flicking it against slightly browned skin. She swallowed thickly, her throat suddenly dry. 

“We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?”

Juliana said it more like a statement rather than a question.

Valentina’s chest rumbled with a light chuckle, and Juliana’s head bounced slightly with the movement. She turned her head to the side and pressed a quick kiss in the dip of Valentina’s neck before settling back against her chest. 

“Yeah, Juls. We’ve been through more than most.”

As Valentina spoke, her fingers circled the scar on Juliana’s shoulder. She was careful with her touch, feather light as she ghosted around the white line. The scar tissue beneath the cut had hardened slightly, a constant reminder of that night both women barely got out with their lives. 

They were quiet for a while, content in simply holding one another. The only sounds were the gently breaking waves, the whistling of the light breeze, and the comforting thump of Valentina’s heartbeat in Juliana’s ear. Her mind raced with the ways in which she should approach the question that had been continually prodding at the front of her mind for some time now. But a quiet statement pulled Juliana from her own head.

“I know I haven’t really explicitly said it before, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.”

Juliana’s brows furrowed slightly, her eyes darting around but not really seeing, as she struggled to understand what Valentina could mean. She was suddenly made aware of the subtle tension that seemed to run under Valentina’s skin. It was there in the press of Valentina’s fingers on her back, in the spike of her breathing, in the way her legs shifted restlessly. Juliana lifted her head from the comfort of Valentina’s chest to find her nibbling on her bottom lip. 

“About what, babe?” Juliana asked as her thumb brushed under Valentina’s lip in a silent cue to stop fretting. It wasn’t often that Valentina got like this, and it made Juliana’s chest tighten in uncertainty. 

Valentina dipped her chin and offered her a small smile. 

“About how you saved me.”

Juliana tilted her head in bewilderment. They’d spoken about Juliana’s actions the night they were kidnapped a handful of times, and each time Valentina expressed how grateful she was for Juliana’s actions, all while scalding her for being a martyr at the same time. It was always going to be a shared experience they would never forget, but it was far enough in the past that they didn’t speak about it much anymore. 

“And I’m not just talking about that night with Alacran. I mean, you saved me from Lucho. You were there for me like no-one else was. You fought for me, even before we realized our feelings for one another.”

Juliana quirked her brow in amusement, her lips curling as she released a humored huff of air. 

“I hate to break it to you, babe, but I think deep down I already knew.”

Valentina rolled her eyes playfully, her tongue swiping across her teeth in the way she did when she had no immediate response. It wasn’t often that Valentina didn’t have words. 

“I still remember the moment I saw you.” Juliana continued in lieu of Valentina’s silence. “All long hair and bright blue eyes, standing on the front steps of your house, in those jeans that hug your hips the way I like.”

“Juls!” Valentina slapped playfully at Juliana’s arm, her lips twisting into a striking, carefree smile. 

“No-one has ever affected me like you do. I think I knew then, subconsciously, that you were going to be big.”

Valentina lifted her head, her lips millimeters away from Juliana’s. 

“You really know how to make a girl melt, don’t you?”

“Maybe. I only care about one girl.” Juliana whispered back, before slotting their lips together tenderly. 

They kissed slowly, and although it should all feel so familiar by now, it still took Juliana’s breath away when Valentina kissed her like that. Juliana hummed and pulled herself up, pressing more firmly into the embrace. But a light nip to her bottom lip had Valentina pulling back, her head resting back against the towel. 

Juliana’s eyes fluttered open to find Valentina already gazing at her. Her eyes were thoughtful, a depth of emotion lingering there that had Juliana’s head spinning. She was lost in them, blue as the sky on a cloudless day. She felt like flying. 

“But you also saved me from myself, Juls. I was so lost, so directionless when you appeared out of no-where. I had no passion for my craft, going through the motions of school because that’s what I’d been told to do. I let myself be pushed around and used by people I called friends. I allowed Lucho to blackmail me. I didn’t know how to stand up for myself. I didn’t realize my own self-worth.” 

Valentina’s hand cupped Juliana’s face, her thumb brushing along her cheekbone. Her smile was crooked and soft, her eyes searching Juliana’s. 

“You came into my life at the perfect time. You sparked something inside me I didn’t realize was there. I started living in a way I didn’t know I could. I unearthed my passion for journalism, and I felt more connected to my family. I had no time for toxic friends, or for the bullshit Lucho was pulling on me, that you protected me from.”

Valentina pulled in a deep breath.

“Juls, you saved me from myself, and that’s the biggest thing anyone has ever done for me. I have no idea where I’d be right now if you hadn’t arrived and turned my world upside down. You make me a better person.”

Juliana knew she was blushing. She could feel the heat rise under her skin. She wanted desperately to speak, to tell Valentina that she felt the same way. She wanted to explain how she was also just going through the motions of life when they first met, no real objective other than to make some money and forget her past. She wanted to describe how colorless her life was before Juliana laid eyes on Valentina, her world suddenly alight with passion and ambition and love. She wanted to show the other woman just how deeply she made her feel with her unwavering support and incredible enthusiasm. 

But her words were jumbled and stuck in her throat as ocean blue eyes continued to watch her delicately, as if she held her heart in her hands. 

And she thought that perhaps she was right. Perhaps Valentina entrusted Juliana to take care of her heart, just as Valentina owned her own. And the thought of it, about how lucky she was to have found someone that she could trust with something as fragile and profound as her love for Valentina, was electrifying. 

Her mouth moved, her eyes blinking, and Valentina just continued to watch her with a dopey smile on her face. 

“Val.” Juliana finally got out, weak and breathy although it was. 

“Shhh, it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. Just be here with me.” 

Valentina kissed Juliana’s forehead before her hand grasped her neck and guided her back down onto her chest. Juliana’s cheek made contact with warm skin once more, and she closed her eyes and immersed herself in the sound of Valentina’s heartbeat once more. 

They stayed there for some time, Valentina’s hands threading through Juliana’s now drying hair, while Juliana’s fingertips continued to trace mindlessly into the soft skin on Valentina’s neck and shoulder. The silence was therapeutic, their company all that was needed. 

Eventually, Juliana cleared her throat and spoke.

“Val?”

“Hmmm?” 

“You know how everything has been crazy since we finally got together? With you finishing school and starting your career, while I finally got the chance to follow my dreams.”

“We’ve been busy, sure. But it’s all worth it, right?”

“Yeah, babe. Of course it’s worth it.”

Valentina pressed a quick kiss to the top of Juliana’s head in response. 

“We just haven’t had a whole lot of free time to spend together lately. You’re so exhausted after working such long hours, and I’m flat out trying to juggle school and work.”

“I still don’t think you should be working so much.” Valentina said quietly. 

“I have to work, babe. I can’t rely on Lupe paying all the bills. I need to contribute.”

“Yeah, I know.” Valentina sighed. 

Valentina had mentioned a few times that she wished Juliana would cut down her hours waitressing at Perlita’s café. But Juliana’s independence was solid, and as time went on, Valentina gradually understood just how strong Juliana’s need to be self-sufficient really was. 

“Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is, I don’t get to see you as much as I want. You finish work late into the night and collapse into bed at your place, and I’m trying to keep up with class and shifts at the café.”

“I’m sorry.” Valentina spoke softly, the words like a huff of acknowledgement.

“No, babe. I’m not saying this for an apology. I’m just pointing out that I miss you, and I wish we could spend more time together.”

Valentina took in a deep breath and whispered into Juliana’s hair, “me too.”

Juliana licked her lips, her heart beginning to beat a little faster in her chest. 

“So, I have an idea to fix this predicament.”

“You do?” 

Valentina’s voice was high, her curiosity piqued. 

“I do.”

Juliana let out a shaky breath and watched her finger trace patterns over Valentina’s skin. There was no sense in the way her finger floated across Valentina’s shoulder and chest, the skin smooth and warm.

“Juls?”

“Yes, the plan.” Juliana said, mostly to herself. 

She wanted to look at Valentina as she proposed her idea, but she knew those piercing blues would most likely distract her, or stop her from asking all together. Even though Valentina had been dropping hints for months now, she was still so nervous, and she wanted to do this right.

“Whenever I think about my future, you are all I see. I want to wake up next to you every morning, and I want to kiss you goodnight while I cuddle into you every evening.”

Juliana was so focused on her own nerves that she barely registered the tempo of Valentina’s heartbeat increasing under her ear. 

“I have a feeling you’ve wanted this for a while, but you’ve been holding back. I think I’ve been so wrapped up in trying to manage the rest of my life and dealing with the shit we’ve been through, that I’ve neglected the one part of my life that has been so perfect. But it’s not complete. Not yet.”

“Amor?”

“Val, I really want to move in with you. As in, I want us to get a place together. If you want to…”

In a flash, Juliana was laying flat on her back. Valentina quickly crawled over her, her elbows resting either side of her head as she covered Juliana’s body with her own. Juliana giggled as she brushed the wild strands of hair tickling her face over Valentina’s shoulder, impressed with the other womans ability to move so quickly. Her breath caught in her throat as she finally took in the look on Valentina’s face. 

She was magnificent. Her smile was wide, her eyes ablaze, her skin radiant. 

“Are you serious right now, Juls? Don’t play with me.”

“Of course I’m serious. Every time we escape here, I’m reminded how easily we blend together. I know we spend time at each other’s houses, but it’s not the same. I want somewhere we can call ours, where we can just be together. Because, babe, you’re all I want.”

Valentina’s lips found Juliana’s messily, their smiles causing their teeth to clash. 

“You weren’t wrong. I’ve been desperate to ask. God, you’ve got no idea how many times I’ve almost blurted it out. I nearly bought us a place impulsively a couple months ago, and it took a seriously long lecture from Guille to stop myself.” 

Valentina was practically vibrating with excitement as she ducked into Juliana’s neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses along the column. 

“Juls, I am so ready to move in with you.”

Juliana giggled, wrapping her arms around Valentina and pulling her close. Juliana didn’t even care that breathing was harder as the other girls weight dropped onto her. She just wanted to squeeze her, hold her close and never let her go. 

This was just one of many important milestones Juliana knew they were going to experience together. For when she imagined her life, Valentina was always there, sure and bright like a lighthouse in the night. She never wanted to walk through life without her. But that was a bigger question for another time, an inevitability. For now, she was content with the prospect of taking the first step towards building their lives together. 

Valentina dragged her lips along Juliana’s face, finishing with a tender kiss on the tip of her nose. 

“I can’t wait to go house shopping with you, amor. This is going to be so much fun.”

Juliana’s hands cradled Valentina’s face, her thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. It wasn’t lost on her that her world was lying there, as happy and vivacious as she had ever seen her, and she was grateful that she could call her _mine_. 

“I love you, Valentina.”

Valentina’s eyelashes fluttered gently, her eyes deep and as blue as the ocean. 

“You are my world, Juliana. I love you, too. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew.  
> We made it!  
> THANK YOU for joining me for the ride on this one. I hope you enjoy the last chapter of this story.  
> As much as I am sad to finish it, i'm also bloody stoked that I got through it!  
> I've got some other ideas in the pipelines for another story, so hopefully that will come to fruition at some point.  
> Thanks again, and drop me a comment to let me know what you thought!  
> Peace & love.

**Author's Note:**

> This could be a terrible idea, but I've decided to challenge myself a little differently here. I haven't written any kind of outline for the chapters, I'm just going purely off one idea in my head. I wanted to see what I could produce/where my imagination can take me without pre-planning anything. Fingers crossed this isn't a bloody disaster and I can write something semi-decent. Wish me luck!
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr at humblewats 👏🏼


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